


The False Reality I live In

by WillWatt



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Androids, Connor Deserves Happiness, Connor learns love, Domestic Fluff, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, False Identity, False Memories, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Jealous Connor, M/M, Marking, Matchmaker kamski, POV Connor, POV Male Character, POV Original Character, POV original male android, Possessive Behavior, Possessive Connor, Protective Connor, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Top Connor, android love, hickey, matchmaker Elijah Kamski, maybe sex idk, still thinking of what to do
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-06-11 03:58:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 29,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15306996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WillWatt/pseuds/WillWatt
Summary: An android who doesn't know hes an android, falls in love with an officer unit.





	1. Background information

**Author's Note:**

> AU: The android revolution hasn’t occurs, as deviancy is only starting to begin. It’s more subtle, as androids haven’t started to act out. Elijah is the CEO of Cyberlife, and the RK800 series is used as a prototype in a few police markets before widespread release.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TLDR: CyberLife has made a line of robots that act and think almost exactly like humans to test out how well these machines can function. They lack any ability to connect to other androids or radio signals, they can't have software loaded into them, and they can't see or hear anything that would reveal their identity as a robot. They're sent out into the world with a fake past that they completely believe, and a job at CyberLife medical to trick the machines into believing their humanity. 
> 
> Real story starts chapter 1
> 
> Bam: Edited on 8/3/18

Pink dripped into orange as the hours crawled by, basking CyberLife Medical in the natural beauty of the sunlight. Faint beeping, the gentle tapping of heels and hard soled shoes, and the hum of electricity filled the hallways of the white building. For the most part, most floors were always was this serine. Save for the emergency room and high-risk patient floors. Leaving most of the building mostly dull, quiet, and lonely. Yes, a fleet of nurses and doctors wandered the halls. But they were not exactly the most talkative types. Every nurse was a NS500 –better known as a specialized nurse Chloe--, and every doctor was a MP600. 

Elijah Kamski built CyberLife Medical back in the early days of his company, back when unemployment was only around 20%. He did so in order to demonstrate how efficient and clinical his medical line of robots could be; a starting point to the spread of android hospitals throughout the country. Open year round, with a drastically lower failure rate than any human hospital, and considerably cheaper to operate made the idea popular; to the bane of every human nurse or doctor who now saw their cliental dwindle. With the growing gap in the economic classes and the stagnation of pay, nobody could really blame anyone who sought cheaper and better health care. CyberLife Medical completed its mission in only 3 years, as most hospitals began their conversion to android based facilities. Now that most hospitals were completely or partially staffed by androids, CyberLife Medical served as a nonprofit; giving CyberLife a hefty tax write off. 

And of course, to staff his automated hospital Elijah built specialized androids meant to operate every portion of his hospital; from the labs, to patient care, the surgery, anything a human would have done in a hospital. Every few years, the robotic armada would be replaced with newer models; serving as an advertisement to other hospitals about how they could improve their service. The hospital even served as a way for Elijah to develop his androids and their behavioral coding. Each android in the facility held specialized programing and mechanics. For example, the machines were set up to occasionally engage in idle chit chat with patients and other androids, discussing popular culture and news articles among other things; giving the androids a more human set of behaviors. 

Their bodies were also deceptively delicate. Despite their perfect appearance and slender frames, nearly each machine was far stronger than a human. Disturbingly so, in fact. While a very rare sight, it was always strange to see a petite, thin Chloe hoist a morbidly obese patient up before delicately clicking her way to a bed before she gingerly set the patient down for transportation to emergency treatment. 

The Chloe nurses held the same appearance to every other Chloe model, each one dawning an all-white, skin tight, nursing dress with white heels which clicked with every step they took. These models of Chloe were clearly a pleasure for Elijah to develop, as he chose to match form to the level of function he built into them. Despite their alluring appearance, the Chloes were all programmed with knowledge a nurse would need as well as a general knowledge of surgery. They could perform simple medical treatments but lacked the skills to preform highly specialized surgery and diagnostics. 

That was reserved for the MP600 androids. They recycled the same appearance as the WB600 series but had the same advancements of Chloes. Grouped into teams of 10, each set of MP600s was specialized into a field of medication. Each set could diagnose and treat within their field of medicine with a 95% success rate. And, in emergency situations, they could wipe their medical knowledge and download another field’s information from the hospital network to aid in emergency situations. They, like the Chloes, were somewhat sexualized for patient pleasure as well. Their fit bodies wrapped in a skin-tight black shirt, a fitted pair of black slacks, and a white lab coat. 

\------------

_ Six Months Prior  _

_ “Welcome, to WWDC 2038. We here at CyberLife are ecstatic to share our latest advancements with you.” Elijah’s booming voice was quick to draw the attention of every reporter before him.  _

_ Walking across the stage as he spoke, Elijah began speaking of his company’s developments. A new line of androids meant to aid with police investigations. Agile, intelligent, lifelike, and able to perform Realtime evidence processing. The prototype was brought onstage, meant to demonstrate his abilities to the crowd before he was assigned to the Detroit Police Department for beta testing.  _

_ After a few more announcements about simple security patches for a few lines of older androids, and a completely new version of Android OS for newer models, Elijah began to walk toward the end of the stage; appearing to end his 2-hour presentation, he quickly turned on the balls of his heels.  _

_ “Oh, and one more thing.” He teased, coming toward the middle of the stage.  _

_ “Chloe, could you please come here?” He waved to the left side of the stage.  _

_ “Wait, Elijah really? Wha- hey!” A delicate voice announced before an RT600 was dragged onto the stage by two ST200s. A red hue stained her face, as she stumbled over her feet to keep pace with the ST200s who guided her to Elijah. The ST200s iron grip only was released when the RT600 was next to the CEO.  _

_ Chloe tried to walk passed Elijah out of embarrassment and stage fright, but he quickly wrapped an arm around her and kept her in place next to him. “Please dear, I need your help for this.” He smiled down at the petite android before planting a kiss on her full lips. The RT600 visibly calmed down as her shoulders lowered in response to Elijah’s affection.  _

_ “I promise, it won’t take long. I just want to show you off. Just smile and be your beautiful self.”  _

_ “A-alright” The android stuttered, turning her head to face the crowd as hushed murmurs filled the air. She slid out of Elijah’s grip and took a spot next to him, her arms slipping behind her back as she held onto her hand.  _

_ Elijah began to walk behind her, his voice calm as his eyes traced the silhouette of the first android he ever made.  _

_ “Now, this RT600 is something special.” He began, gently tracing his hand down the side of Chloe, watching her react to the gentle touch of his skin.  _

_ “She’s alone. Not just because she’s a one of a kind. But also because she can never interface with any other android. Her cellular, Bluetooth, nfc, rfid, and wifi antennas have been removed to prevent wireless connections. She can’t retract her skin to physically link with another android, nor can she be plugged in by a standard user.”  _

_ “She lacks all scanning capabilities and GUI that is on all standard androids. She can only see the world the way we do.”  _

_ “Hell, she doesn’t even know she’s an android.” The audience leaned in.  _

_ “Her programming was replaced with the most basic, yet complex programming we’ve ever made. She can learn, but only at a human’s pace. She makes mistakes, she’s late, she forgets, and she’s got quite the mouth on her when she’s angry. She Feels”  _

_ “Why? Simple. We here at CyberLife want to better understand how to imitate humanity. We’ve created a new branch of operating system for our androids. One that brings our androids as close to humanity as we’ve ever gotten. They can think, they can feel, and they can enjoy a slice of what we call life.”  _

_ The reporters began mumbling to one another, jotting down notes as fast as they could.  _

_ “In an attempt to test our new androids, their programming, and their relationships with humans; we’ve decided to release 5 unrestricted models into the wild. With the blessings of President Warren, these androids have full citizenship rights. They are free and will be treated the same as a human. They lack LEDs, they don’t wear android markings, and they have carefully selected pasts based on the life of someone from the global population. They are virtually indistinguishable from a human. They smile, laugh, cry, have hobbies, and much more.”  _

_ “We understand there may be some concerns. What if she, or other androids like her break when they find out they’re androids? How will they react? What if they cause some.... Robot revolution?” Elijah smiled, circling around the RT600 before wrapping his arms around her thin waist; pulling her close to his body.  _

_ “Simple, these new androids cannot understand that they are androids. It’s not that we made them not believe that they were androids, trust me I’ve had to reset Chloe quite a few times during the alpha phase when she realized she was a machine.” He smiled, looking into his prototype’s eyes.  _

_ “Instead, they cannot see or hear that they are machines, and they cannot recognize other androids of the same line. Their programming censors it by either blocking it out, or replaces it with something else for the android to react to on its own. Observe: Chloe, what have I been saying this whole time?”  _

_ Chloe smiled, her youthful face showing her joy as she looked up into her boyfriend’s eyes. “You were talking about how you’re so excited to announce the RK800 series. But I don’t understand why you need me out here for that.”  _

_ “No, sweetie, I was telling everyone how you’re an android”  _

_ “Oh, stop it you. You’ve said I was an angel all week. I don’t think you need to announce it to everyone.” She giggled, the red returning to her face as she drowned out the crowd behind her.  _

_ Elijah waved over another ST200, who quickly walked over with a tablet in hand. The camera zoomed into the android, focusing onto the screen of the tablet for all to see on the jumbotrons.  _

_ The ST200 held up the tablet, displaying that the article on it simply stated “Chloe, you are an android. Elijah created you, and you are his android” repeatedly. She handed the tablet to Chloe and asked her to read aloud what she read on the screen.  _

_ Chloe began to recite the days headline about WWDC, completely oblivious to the real message before her. Elijah asked her to stop before he looked over to his ST200.  _

_ “Their censorship program runs a simple overlay on anything that reveal their true identity. Replacing that information with anything their mind was exposed to in the past, or to what they think they should hear.” Elijah explained before looking back down to his android.  _

_ “Who is she, Chloe?”  _

_ Chloe shifted to better look at the ST200’s face, tilting her head to the side before saying “I’m not sure honey, is that one of your new interns? You have so many these days.” She said, before apologizing to the android and asking for its name; releasing a small squeal of joy when it responded with Chloe. “That’s my name too!”  _

_ Chloe turned to Elijah and smiled. “I don’t have to worry about that one, do I?” She teased to the shock of the crowd. “No honey, nothing to worry about. Now, do you think you could get home and start dinner? I’m starving. Oh, and thank you for your help”  _

_ “Sure thing babe, it was my pleasure. I don’t really understand how I helped but you’re welcome.” She planted a chaste kiss on Elijah’s lips before she pulled herself from Elijah and walked off stage with the ST200.  _

_ “As you can see, this range of androids are perfectly stable and are unlikely to be compromised. To further reassure the public of how safe these test androids are, we’ve made them weak. The public models only have the average strength of a man or a woman.” Elijah’s words served as a comfort to the reporters. “Additionally, it’s very simple to identify one of our JT333 models. Just ask what they do for work, and if they say they work for CyberLife Medical, you’ll know that you’ve become friends with or even attracted yourself an android.”  _

_ “Now, I think I’ve delayed the next company’s presentation long enough. Enjoy the rest of the conference. And keep an eye out for my machines. If you’d like to get a few more details about the range of androids, please check CyberLife’s website under the model line JT333. You won’t see their photographs, but you’ll see their capabilities.”  _


	2. JT333, at your service

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doctor John, over worked, meets RK800 after Hank is admitted for a non-lethal gunshot wound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything in crossed out is what John isnt hearing or seeing as a result of his program's censorship. 
> 
> Hey guys, so i know the chapter is short but i plan on posting every time i finish something before i go do something else. I'm basically doing it to challenge myself every day to write, so dont be surprised if there are a few short updates every day.
> 
> edited on 8/3 for better flow; no major plot changes

“Doctor, you need to start taking care of yourself. ~~Your thorium level is too low, you could have shut down.~~ You’re dehydrated, you could have fainted.” The MD600 scolded, inserting a picc line into John’s vein. Earning himself a bit of a jolt from the young doctor, who was still somewhat skittish around needles.

“I was perfe-” John protested as he watched the android insert the line from a white bag before he was cut off.

“You weren’t perfectly fine, doctor. You nearly fell over a patient. Now please, just lay back and ~~recharge~~ rest. I’ll send an ST200 to check up on you in 15 minuets.” The medical unit scolded, helping the young doctor lean back into the patient bed. His LED blinking yellow as he queued a task to one of the many nurses. “When the bag is empty, you’ll be cleared to get back to work. While you’re resting, I’ll go make a report to Elijah about the incident.” The android stated, before he walked out fo the room to find other patients.

John sighed, knowing full well that Elijah would probably scold him for not taking care of himself again. It really wasn’t his fault, it just was a risk that came with the job. Only 5 doctors were on payroll, working alongside with over 300 androids; he had to at least try to keep up with them, out of fear that he could lose his job like many others had.

John couldn’t wallow in his thoughts for long though, as the room door creaked open. Three Chloes entered the room. Two moving an older man on a transportation bed, while one held the door open. Once the man was positioned near the bed, the three worked to quickly move the sleeping figure to the padded patient room bed. While being moved, the man never stirred, so either the Chloes were just that good at moving patients as to not stir him in his sleep, or he was out cold from surgery. “Chloe? What happened with this patient?” He asked, watching them work before one of them turned around to speak.

“I’m sorry Doctor, you’re not his doctor. I cannot share his private information with you unless you agree to taking care of him after you are cleared yourself.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“This is Lieutenant Hank Anderson, Age 53, he was shot in the arm during a standoff with a red ice dealer. The bullet has been removed, and the patient is projected to be ready for discharge around 4pm; assuming he reports no pain and does not display any complications post op.” Chloe recited the medical log, no doubt having read it straight from the patient’s log on the server.

“Please bring the patient’s charts for me Chloe, also come check this saline drip. I’m feeling better already.” John stated, knowing full well he was forbidden from changing his medical report or even giving himself a simple diagnosis. He remembered when he did that the last time over his first bout of dehydration; earning himself a harsh chewing out from Elijah and his director of medical procedure.

One of the Chloes clicked her way around the patient’s bed and toward his own; smirking as she leaned over the young doctor to check his vitals. Her delicate fingers pressing into the bag as she felt around for it’s fluid level. “It seems that you’ve finished your bag doctor, but it’s for the best that you lay down a bit longer, just to make sure you’re ok.” She explained, her perfect lips pulled into a smile. “I’ll go ahead and grab you a bottle of ~~Thirium~~ water. That will help you feel better.”

“ _God.”_ John thought to himself as he watched the android leave the room. _“The programming department was good. You’d think she actually cared about her patients.”_ He thought, lifting himself up into a seated position, placing one arm behind him to stabilize him as he did so. He used his free hand to wipe his forehead, still somewhat weak as he did so. His attention was drawn back to the door when another Chloe –Or maybe the same Chloe? It was so hard to tell sometimes--, entered the room; chart tablet in one hand and a bottle of ~~Thirium~~ water in another. Her white high heels clicked softly as she approached him, gently handing him the bottle and placing the chart on the bed. “If you need any of us, just page one of us.” She smiled a sweet smile, looking up at the other Chloes before they all departed the room in unison.

Somewhat disturbed by the uniform exit that the Chloes preformed, John cracked open the bottle and slowly began to sip at the ~~blue~~ clear liquid. Savoring the non-existent taste as it ran down his throat. He felt a shiver run through him, most likely from how cold the drink was in combination with the cold hospital room. He looked down at his exposed arms, realizing that his lab coat was hanging on the door hook, leaving him exposed to the A/C. He sighed, feeling somewhat exposed. He, like the MD600s, had to wear the same tight black shirt and fitted pants. The pants weren’t the issue, but the shirt was a little too tight for his tastes. While John was comfortable in his body, he wasn’t as fit as the MD600s. Their bodies were designed for heavy lifting as well as delicate movements, so they enjoyed heavier build. John on the other hand, held more of a swimmer’s build. And no matter how hard he tried at the gym, he could never seem to add size.

Another shiver ran through his body, pushing aside his jealousy and reminding him of another problem with the medical uniform. They were somewhat too thin for his liking. While made of a nice synthetic, self-cleaning fabric; CyberLife did cut some corners on the thickness of the material, given that 99% of people wearing this uniform couldn’t feel the temperature anyway.

Bringing the ~~liquid power~~ water back to his lips, John’s thin fingers plucked the tablet from the bed as he started to flick though the Lieutenant’s files. _“Hmm, slightly elevated blood pressure and cholesterol.”_ He thought to himself as the room door opened, dragging his attention from the file. He observed the non-medical android who entered the room. Clad in a custom android suit and tie which glowed around the neck, the android’s brown eyes met his amber eyes. They both seemed to be examining each other. John noted the height of the android; standing at six feet tall, the machine stood five inches taller than he was. _“Just like the MD600s”_ He thought to himself, recognizing that basically every male android to be produced is going to be taller than him.

“Hi, I’m Connor. I’m an android sent by CyberLife to work with the Lieutenant.” Connor stated as he approached the doctor; stopping in front of shorter man. “Are you the doctor caring for the Lieutenant?” Connor asked, those brown eyes scanning the form of the young doctor.

            “Yes, I’ll be watching over him Connor. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

            “How is he?”

“Well, looking at his chart I’d say he’s fine. He was lucky, the bullet missed bone and anything vital. He’ll just have to wear a sling for a week or two until the stiches heal enough. After that, he should avoid heavy lifting for the next month after that.” John explained, glancing up to the android before he finished off what he believed to be water.

The brunet’s appearance faltered for a quick second, almost as if he was surprised by something. He then appeared to be scanning his face, probably looking up his past medical history online. “Were you ~~damaged~~ injured, Doctor?” Connor asked, tilting his head to the side.

“Oh no, just a little dehydrated. One of the other doctors just put me on a saline drip and Chloe gave me a bottle of water. I’ll be perfectly fine. Thank you for the concern.”

“Water? I think you’re ~~confused~~ overworking youself, you’re drinking ~~Thirium~~ that pretty quickly. ~~What’s your model number~~ How long have you been working?” Connor seemed confused, his eyes darting around the doctor’s face.

“Well, I started this morning. What is it, 3? Wow, I didn’t even take a break for lunch today. Maybe that MD600 was right, I am overworking myself.” John stated, setting down the tablet as his eyes darted from the android to the clock and back again.

“I don’t think ~~your audio processors are working~~ right you heard me right. I asked you ~~for your model number~~ how long you’ve been working for the hospital.” Connor stated, his LED flashing yellow in an attempt to connect to the medical android; only for his face to flash frustration momentarily when his LED flashed red.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you meant how long I was working for the day! I’ve been a doctor for 2 years so far. I know, I look pretty young for a doctor, but I promise your lieutenant is in good hands. I didn’t bust my ass every summer in summer school to be a half assed doctor.” John smiled at the android, clasping a hand to the android’s shoulder.

John pushed himself up from the medical bed, passing the handsome android on his way to get a pair of blue nitrile gloves from the box mounted on the wall. Slipping them on with a snap, he turned only to release a breathy gasp when he released the police android was right behind him; his LED flashing yellow as he observed the shorter unit.

“Sir, cou-”

“Please, call me Connor.”

“Connor, could you please take a seat? I’m just going to check on the lieutenant’s vitals.” He gestured to the chair in the corner of the room. Prompting Connor to quickly walk over to it, and pull up the seat next to hank before he sat down; eyes locked onto the brunet. _“Jesus Christ, the press release never mentioned how protective these models were.”_ John thought, positioning himself next to the patient’s bed after he picked up the tablet again. He began to jot down the readings on the machinery, ignoring the guard dog of an android that was drilling holes into the back of his head.

He decided it was best to try and make friends with the unit, seeing as it was likely he would see more officers in the future. He lifted his head from his clipboard and turned to face the robot. “So, how long have you worked with the lieutenant?” He questioned, already assuming the answer was 6 months or less.

“6 months. I was the prototype at WWDC, so as soon as that event ended I was assigned to the Detroit police department.”

 _“I knew it.”_ He gloated to himself, a smile tugging at his heart shaped lips. “How’s being an officer? I’m assuming you have plenty of exciting stories to tell.” He prodded, quickly glancing at the handsome face of the machine before he looked down at the medical machinery.

“I’ve got a few stories. Though I’m sure you don’t have the time to hear them. I could always just ~~transfer them to you physically~~ tell you some another time.” Connor suggested, patting his arm in an attempt to signal the doctor that he should agree to the transaction.

“If I ever see you in the future and the hospital isn’t so busy, then I’d love to hear some over my break.” He smiled, glancing up again before he looked down to start writing his notes again. Both androids had their attention pulled to the patient when a groan escaped Hank’s lips. Connor’s face seemed to relax to the response, almost showing relief now that the Lieutenant was awake.

John shifted to look at the resting man as he slowly opened his eyes, looking up into his. When Hank tried to lift himself from the bed, John quickly pressed a hand to the patient’s good shoulder. “Lieutenant, you’ve just had surgery and you’re still waking up from the anesthetic. Please, lay down and rest so I can finish my examination.” John urged, failing to keep the man in place.

“I’m not getting treated by some fuckin’ android.” Hank spat, his voice strained and tired. John sighed, hating that he was going to have to say this. “Sir, you’ve already been treated by one of the surgical MD600s. You were shot and brought to the nearest hospital. We couldn’t just wait for you to wake up to ask if you were okay being operated on by a machine.” John explained, watching the building anger in the man’s voice before his android stepped in. “Lieutenant, please. This was an emergency situation.” Connor said, calming the man slightly as he leaned back, allowing John to lower him back to the bed. “Besides, this doctor isn’t an android.” The lie easily escaped Connor’s lips as if it was the truth.

After hearing that, anger was replaced with confusion as the elder man’s eyes darted around the smaller man’s body. Once he didn’t see the triangle or armband, he fully reclined himself. “You’re a person? Haven’t seen a person in a hospital for a while.” Hank said, his words slightly slurred from his surgery.

“Yes Lieutenant. I am, in fact, a person.” John smirked, knowing full well he sounded like a smartass. “Well Lieutenant, you don’t seem to be acting as if you’re in pain; but just in case I’ll give you a small dose of Percocet. I’ll make sure your android has my information before your discharge tonight.” John smiled, pleased with the post op results of the android surgery. He walked over to his lab coat and removed an Rx pad. After scribbling the prescription in his messy handwriting, he ripped the sheet from the pad and handed it to the machine; also making sure to pull his card from his back pocket and giving it to the machine as well. “Just take that to an autopharmacy and he’ll get his first bottle. Just in case, I put in one refill for him. If he’s in pain, he can only take 1 every 12 hours with food. And of course, don’t mix with alcohol.” He instructed to the tall machine. “Just give me a call if his condition changes, or if he needs to set up a follow up visit.”

“Of course, thank you doctor.”

“Not a problem. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got other patients to see today. One of the Chloes should discharge the Lieutenant in a few hours if he’s still alright.”

John smiled gently, grabbing his coat from the door before he left the room, clicking back toward his office to sync over his notes on Hank for the android fleet he worked with.


	3. I know what you are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor POV. I dont plan on doing this often but i thought it would be interesting. I'm also literally falling asleep at my computer so more connor to come tomorrow

While he did manage stop the dealer, he couldn’t help but feel as though his mission failed. He recalled the all-consuming fear he held when he turned back to Hank and saw the blood flowing out of his arm. His scans revealing an increased heart rate as Hank went into shock. Deciding that an ambulance would take too long, he quickly shoved the man into the police car, switching on the lights and siren before racing through Detroit to CyberLife Medical.

As he pulled up to the ER, he connected to a nearby NS500 and relayed Hank’s information as well as what occurred. Before he even stopped, thee NS500s approached the car, transportation bed in tow. The moment he came to a stop, they quickly pulled Hank from the vehicle and onto the bed, relaying their sensor data to one another as he was wheeled in for operation.

Connor quickly swung into a parking space before he exited the car and made his way into the hospital. He relayed his information to the reception android before taking a seat, waiting for him to be called to Hank’s post op room. He instinctively reached for his pocket, pulling out his calibration coin. The gentle clink of a 1994 quarter was all the police droid could focus on as the coin flew between his hands; downing out the sound of the others around him as he calibrated himself.

Time seemed to pass at a snail’s pace, growing Connor’s worry with every passing minute. To try and cope, Connor began to calibrate himself faster and faster; his hands moving the coin with an even more inhuman precision than usual. This continued for nearly two hours until Connor received a low energy warning in his vision. He never realized just how much power his calibration drew, especially when it was running continuously on overclock.

Pushing himself up, he made his way over to the waiting room vending machine. His LED flickering as he relayed his order and the station’s payment information, causing the machine to respond by dropping a bottle of Thirium into its bay. As he reached for his liquid recharge, a message filled his vision.

Hank Anderson, Floor 3, Room 345. Patient has been stabilized.

Connor pulled the drink to his lips and quickly chugged it down before spinning on his heels and started his path through the hospital hallways. Passing the seemingly endless supply of medical units, Connor found his way through the hallways and stair cases to room 345. Opening the door, Connor observed the sterile room. Hank was positioned near the window, gently breathing from an oxygen tube; his eyes glued shut by the anesthesia. Connor’s gaze then drifted to the second bed closer to the door. He realized that, seated at the bed, sat a human male; glancing at a tablet with a drink in hand. His facial scan revealed a locked file; he would need to see need permission from Captain Fowler to access anything beyond the man’s image and name.

John Thompson

Usually only someone in whiteness protection has a locked file, but it was strange to see someone in WP who still practiced as a doctor. Typically, witnesses were either told not to work, or to get an inconspicuous line of work while the government supplemented their pay until they were safe. He decided to brush it off, knowing that speculation was pointless as he was unlikely to receive an answer. Connor simply opted to introduce himself to the doctor and ask about the lieutenant’s condition.

Being sufficiently pleased with the answers he received, he went back to scanning the doctor once more. Something seemed... Off, about the doctor. He was dressed like one of the android doctors, but he lacked any markings of android identification; and on top of that, he was a human working in an all android hospital. Connor’s logic processor did not have to analyze the situation for long, as he witnessed the doctor bring the bottle to his lips and finish a bottle of Thirium. _“I knew he had to be an Android, but I can’t identify the model. Perhaps this model was another prototype?”_ He thought, engaging his interrogation routines as he tried to get the unit to reveal his identity. Becoming somewhat annoyed when the android ‘misheard’ his questions. Connor attempted a more brute force attempt to identify the machine. He positioned himself close to the doctor when he went to grab gloves, his LED spun as he attempted to link with the doctor; only for his vision to fill with a connection failed error message.

After a quick interaction with the doctor, he sat himself down while the doctor worked, unsure if the model was a risk to Hank. Opting for the safer route, Conner opted to send a report to CyberLife about the curious android with a human police record. His LED spun a dull orange while he filed a report of a possibly malfunctioning unit, attaching an image of the machine’s locked file as well as a photo of him drinking. Once sent, the response he received was almost instant, coming directly from Elijah Kamski; simply stating.

Do not reveal this android’s identity. It is one of the prototype JT333 models. It does not know it’s a machine. Treat it as a human.

A faint smile tugged at Connor’s lips when the shorter male initiated friendly conversation. _“The wonders of CyberLife”_ He thought to himself, deciding that he would use this quiet conversation time to examine the android’s features. He observed the Amber eyes, noting their honey appearance which gave the android a gentle gaze. His heart shaped face matched his heart shaped lips; framing his roman nose well. These features accented his short, dark oak, curly undercut quite well. That undercut effortlessly transitioned into a short but well-maintained beard.

The Doctor’s frame seemed to fill out the standard doctor shirt, despite being on the thinner side; his olive toned biceps keeping the sleeved just tight enough to allow the mind to wander, compared to the bulging mass of the MD600’s arms which hid nothing in the tight sleeves.

Connor realized this unit’s skin was imperfect, his skin dotted with moles in an attempt to make him appear human. Additionally, he never noticed a beard on an android before; nor did he notice the slight arm hair on any other model as well. A smirk tugged at the detective’s lips as he reveled in just how human the android looked. No wonder he mistook him for a human earlier.

A gruff groan drew Connor’s attention from the Doctor’s body and their small talk back to Hank as he stirred before trying to get up. He watched the Doctor as he tried to keep the man still and push him back down. Realizing that wouldn’t work, Connor intervened to keep Hank calm and seated. Now that he didn’t need to worry about Hank, Connor listened to the doctor as he was instructed how to use Hank’s painkillers; before the strange little droid excused himself and left the room.

Now that Connor sat in the room alone with a half-awake Hank, Connor was able to reflect on his strange encounter; and when he should decide to reveal to the Hank that his caretaker was also an Android. He settled on telling him after they were back in the car, as he didn’t want the elder to refuse any possible care in the future.

The hours seemed to pass much quicker for Connor, now that Hank was stable and not at risk of dying. While he did fall asleep, Connor occupied his time by connecting to the police station to review case files. Before he even knew it, an NS500 had cleared Hank for release. She helped the man lower himself onto a wheel chair, before asking Connor to bring around Hank’s car to the outpatient door.

He did as she asked, meeting the two at the door and helping Hank into the passenger side before slipping into the driver’s side and starting the journey home. A quiet ride with Hank slumped onto the window in slumber, allowed Connor to avoid revealing the Android’s identity to Hank.


	4. Disgust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin bangs a robot and isn't too happy when he realizes the truth.

A yawn, gentle and telling, escaped the young man’s lips as he walked through the corridor. He’d been working continuously for the past 3 hours since he last saw Hank and Connor. No doubt the officer was already on his way home by now. Deciding he was going to get a jump on his paperwork for tomorrow, he made his way to his office; only to be spotted by one of the NS500s. Like a torpedo, she locked onto her target and closed the distance between herself and the doctor.

“Doctor?” He voice full of concern as she grabbed onto his arm, preventing him from walking further. “I think it’s time you start heading home, don’t you agree?” She said, her LED spinning a slowly. “Why don’t you leave the rest to us?” She guided him towards his office, her grip unwavering.

“I guess you’re right. Could you check my schedule for tomorrow?” Her LED spun only once.

“You’re expected to be one of the doctors administering vaccines at the Detroit Police Station. After that, you’re off for the rest of the day.” She informed in her always chipper voice.

“Thank you, Nurse.”

“Of course, John”

The NS500 waited for him to collect his things before she clicked him down the hallway to the entrance of the building. Ever since he pulled a 36 hour shift and collapsed on the job, an android always accompanied had to accompany human staff out the door; making sure they actually went home at a reasonable time and in order to keep Elijah informed of when his staff left.

Once at their destination, they said a cordial goodbye. Leaving John to enter his white coupe and drive home. Thankfully most of Detroit walked or took the automated taxi service, so he was able to make it to his Condo in Greektown in only 20 minutes. He pulled into his parking spot and quickly made his way up to the Condo; practically falling through his door when he got inside.

He flicked on the switch and observed the room in front of him. Taking in the grey wood flooring and cream-colored walls, his navy sofa calling to him. He kicked off his shoes before he peeled off his clothing, leaving them on the ground as he made his way over to the couch. Only clad in his black trunks, he threw himself over the sofa, praising god for whatever material the sofa was made of.

“Television, play Animal Planet.”

Clicking to life, the transparent screen began to play a documentary about the now extinct wild bee; a somber deep voice narrating over footage of a long dead colony. As the documentary played, John grabbed his tablet from the coffee table; checking the messages from his phone that he neglected all day. He noticed he had a few messages from Gavin, the man he matched with on tinder a few days ago.

G: Hey handsome, are you there?

G: Hello? Guessing you’re busy at work

J: Oh, hey! Sorry about the wait. Busy day at work. You have no idea how happy I am to lay down.

G: Oh, I’m sure you’re tired. I’m about the same, busy day here too. Spent most of my day on paperwork

J: You know, you never told me what you actually do, right?

  
G: I haven’t told you because you haven’t told me yours. Why’s that?

John’s eyebrows dropped, recognizing that he couldn’t get out of this one. He always felt awkward talking about his line of work. People either saw you as a walking wallet or pitied you because they understood you could be replaced by a robot any day. John bit his lower lip as he thought up his response, deciding that it was best for him to avoid the question by being upfront about why he didn’t want to discuss his job.

J: I feel like people have ulterior motives when I talk about work. If we can, I’d like to get to know you a bit more first.

G: I get that, I think people are the same way with my job too

  
G: Now that that’s out of the way, am I still picking up that cute ass of yours tonight?

He shifted on the couch, remembering that Gavin in fact _had_ seen a photo of his ass. Good lord, he still didn’t understand why he sent that photo the other night. He shook his head and shifted his attention back to the text. _“Dear god that was a fast turn.”_ His eyebrows shot up in surprise at how Gavin shifted tone. That had to be the expected response though, he knew damn well that Gavin liked to tease; so he couldn’t fault the man for trying to get under his skin in a playful way. He did enjoy the compliment, and he also did need that reminder about his date tonight.

J: Yea, in two hours right?

G: Yeah

He pushed himself up up from the couch, throwing his tablet on the sofa before he plucked his dirty laundry from the ground; throwing them into the laundry room on the way to his bedroom. Pulling out clean clothes from his dresser, he quickly made his way into his shower; using his two hours to put himself together after a long day’s shift.

Exiting the shower, he began to fiddle with his hair. Takeing far too long to finally happy with how his hair sat. He and Gavin had agreed to their date being casual, so John opted for a pair of fitted khaki shorts and a dark teal shirt that hugged his chest. He had removed his contact lenses and opted for his browline glasses, hoping to soften his appearance for Gavin. He exited the bathroom and returned to the bedroom, loading his pockets with his belongings, marking them off mentally as he went, but keeping his phone in his hand.

_Phone, check_

_Wallet, check_

_Money, still there_

_House keys, yup_

J: Hey, I just finished getting ready. Just let me know when you’re outside

G: Alright handsome, see you soon

Sending his address as he took a seat on his sofa, he waited for Gavin to call him down; fiddling with his phone as he waited. Twenty minutes in, His phone buzzed; alerting him to look for a black sedan in the parking lot. _“Descriptive.”_ He thought sarcastically before pushing himself up from the seat and quickly descending the stairs and onto the street. He observed the lot before him, trying to spot a face that matched the pictures he had received.

His search was ended short when a loud horn made him jump; pulling his attention to a car in the second row of cars. He briskly made his way over to the car before a man opened the driver’s side door, a cocky smile on his lips as John waved.

“Well well well, someone matches their profile pretty well. I was half expecting an old man to either show up.” Gavin joked, his comment earning him a faint grimace from John before he decided to brush off the comment.

“I can’t say the same about you, aren’t you eleven years older than me? I guess an old man did sho-” A rough hand grasped John’s wrist, pulling him in before he was quieted with a kiss. “Keep making old man jokes about me and I’ll have to put you in your place.” Gavin’s hand traveled low, cupping the shorter man’s ass and earning him a squirm from the flushed younger man; his other hand keeping John in place. John didn’t expect Gavin to be so forward on their first meeting. He thought that the older man was only teasing him over the phone, but it seemed that his personality was always going to be so forward. He didn’t mind someone who took what they wanted, so maybe it would work out with Gavin.

“Come on, I got us two tickets to that Alien movie thing that was in your bio.” Gavin said, releasing the smaller man to allow him to get into the passenger’s seat.

“Are you sure you don’t want to just walk? The theater is just down the street.”

“Sure. I just offered to drive because it’s a little hot today.”

The two started down the sidewalk, engaged in idle chat as they walked. John shared his love of nerd culture with the older man, earning himself a gruff laugh as Gavin reveled that; had the two known each other growing up, John would have been a victim of him and his football buddies.

Before the two knew it, they arrived at the theater; a short line forming as people purchased their tickets from an android. “Glad I got them early.” Gavin slapped the tickets to his hand, guiding the shorter man to the entrance. As they approached the ticket checker, a scowl stained Gavin’s face when he realized the man checking tickets was a PL600. “Fucking machines.” He grunted, shoving the tickets into the robot’s hands before the two entered the hall.

 _“Dear god, he’s going to hate CL Medical if he ever gets admitted.”_ John thought to himself, remembering how the Lieutenant reacted when he found out an android worked on him. At least the grey-haired man seemed to have a soft spot for that Connor model, but Gavin didn’t seem to hold the same fondness for a particular model.

When they made it into their seats, bag of popcorn in Gavin’s hands and a bottle of water in John’s; the two found it difficult to watch. Gavin seemed more interested in tracing shapes into John’s thigh between firm grasps; distracting John as he playfully tried to stop the older man, not really wanting him to stop. Eventually, the two devolved into messy kissing when Gavin was tired of only grabbing at the man’s thighs.

Unfortunately for John, the night had to end as soon as the movie did. He so desperately wished that he didn’t have work so early in the morning. It had been months since John spent time like this with another man, let alone be touched in a similar manner; handled with so much lust. Starting six months ago, all John did was work and sleep. Once the movie finished, the two had to start walking back to John’s condo; to John’s disappointment.

Once the two stopped outside of the entrance, Gavin was quick to embrace John; pressing their bodies together while they kissed, a hand carding through John’s hair. When Gavin pulled away, he looked down into John’s honey eyes as he spoke. “I’d offer my place, but yours seems to be closer.” A cocky smile formed on his face as he pressed himself roughly into John; earning himself a view of John biting his lower lip and stifling back a moan.

Dear god, he wanted to invite the hardened man upstairs so bad; but he knew he had to be up early for work in the morning. He had to be up early to help set up for the police station vaccinations. _“Oh screw it, one time won’t kill me”_ he thought. “Why don’t you come up for a glass of wine?” John suggested, planting himself back on the older man’s firm lips.

The pair hurriedly made their way up to John’s condo, pressed up against one another in lust; moaning into each other as their lips embraced. Stumbling through John’s door, Gavin seemed to take over; his strong arms lifting John into the air, triggering him to wrap his legs around Gavin’s thick body as the man walked toward the bedroom; Gavin’s hands squeezing the young man’s ass as he carried him. Once inside, Gavin lowered the doctor to the bed before pinning him down, a cocky smirk as he observed John. Taking off his glasses, Gavin peering into the honey abyss; watching them squeeze shut when he pressed his weight into John.

“I’m going to break you down tonight, is that clear?” Gavin teased, his voice lower than usual.

“Y-yes.” John stammered, his body growing hot as his face flushed.

Gavin smiled, lowering himself down onto the younger man; his mouth latching onto his throat; earning himself a breathy “Gavin!” In response as the smaller man tried to press himself closer to the gruff officer.

The morning’s golden rays shone through John’s window, basking the room in a golden hue. The chirping of the phone serving as the bane of his existence, stirring the sleeping man and forcing him to rise from his warm bed. A groan creeped passed his lips as he tried to push the duvet from his thin form; failing to do so. He then realized a heavy arm held him in place, pressed against the form and warm body it was attached to. He squirmed, moving his body to face the front of the man he spent the night with.

“Gavin.” His tone was hushed, hoping to wake the man up slowly. “Gavin wake up.” John’s hand gently cupped his face, basking in the texture of Gavin’s rough stubble as he did so. A grunt escaped Gavin’s lips as his eyes slowly opened, his grey orbs locking onto honey. “What time is it?” He asked, his voice slow and slurred; groaning when he was told it was 5am.

“Come on, I need to get ready for work. I can’t just leave you in my home while I’m gone. Besides, you need to have time to get home and get ready too.” John reasoned, earning himself another groan from Gavin as the two lifted themselves from John’s warm bed.

After a few short kisses and the agreement of another date in the future, Gavin pulled on his clothes and let himself be led out of John’s home; making sure to get one last firm grasp of the android’s rear before he left. Now that Gavin was gone, John wiped at his eyes before pulling on his glasses; ready to start his usual routine at the ungodly hour of 5am.

After half an hour of showering and doing his hair, the man pulled one of his scrub uniforms from his closet; pulling on the too tight shirt before tucking it into his pants and securing it with his belt. Pulling on his shoes, coat in hand, John started his morning commute; forgetting to eat breakfast yet again.

Walking into his office, he is surprised when he sees Elijah at his desk chair; a bottle rested in front of him.

“Ah, John, good morning.” He smiled, too awake than anyone should be at 5:30am.

“Good morning sir, may I ask what this visit is about?” He knew what the visit was about.

“Well, someone definitely isn’t one to beat around the bush. I’m here because I found out a certain someone nearly collapsed on the job. Again.” Elijah’s voice was stressed when he said ‘again’, masked frustration almost escaping.

“I’m sorry sir, I was focused on work. I didn’t realize I skippe-.”

John couldn’t catch the mumble escaping from Elijah’s lips. Whatever it was caused John to stiffen up; his subroutines taking control as he awaited a new order.

“Good morning Mr. Kamski. How may I be of service?”

“Starting from now on, you will subconsciously crave one or two bottles of Thirium a day. You’ll see any Thirium product as mineral water, and if you attempt to order any mineral water, you’ll say Thirium without realizing that you’ve done so. Is that clear?”

“Of course, Mr. Kamski. Is there anything else you’ll be needing?”

“No John, return to your normal operating state.”

John nodded, slumping slightly as he rebooted with his new subroutine. When he opened his eyes, he didn’t perceive any time lost.

“-d my break again. I’ll make sure I do next time.” He finished, unaware of what occurred.

“I’m sure you will, John. Just take better care of yourself for me so I don’t have to read anymore reports about how you scared a patient again.” Elijah smiled, sanding from the chair. As he walked closer to the doctor, clasped a heavy hand onto his shoulder. “I accidently brought an extra bottle with me to work today. Why don’t you have it?” Elijah said, pressing a bottle of ~~Thirium~~ mineral water into John’s hands.

“Oh, thank you sir; I appreciate it.” He smiled, watching his CEO walk off. Glancing down, he examined the white bottle, noting the plain white label that simply read ‘Mineral water’ across the otherwise empty label.

 _“What is this? Some kind of luxury brand? Well, this is Kamski’s water; I shouldn’t be surprised.”_ He thought to himself, breaking the seal before taking a large swig from the bottle; surprisingly pleased by the flavor of the drink. He glanced at his watch as he realized he’s wasted too much time this morning. He capped the bottle, telling himself that he’ll start buying mineral water more often. He departed his office for the supply closet, ready to help the MD600s load up a company SUV.

After about an hour, the car was loaded with privacy screens, syringes, and enough vaccines for each person in the precinct. John and three MD600s piled into the self-driving car, allowing the vehicle to guide them to their destination. To pass the time in traffic, John asked the androids to relay the headlines to him. Once they finally reached their destination, the group began to unload their materials into of the briefing rooms.

As they worked, officers began to punch in. For the most part, the officers ignored the medical units as they set up their work stations; though some did stare at John from a distance, a look of surprise on their face as if they realized something he never would. Eventually, some approached John, either making pleasant conversation or questioning him about his employment while he worked.

Eventually, the doctor saw a familiar face walking though the precinct.

“Connor!” He waived the android over. “How’s the lieutenant?”

Connor smiled, making his way over to the conference room; noting the ‘Vaccines here’ sign that was tapped to the door. “He’s doing well Doctor. He’s on sick leave for a week to heal, then desk duty until he’s cleared for field work.”

“That’s good to hear! Hey, maybe after my shift today you can tell me one of those work stories you mentioned.” He suggested, assorting his vials as he spoke. The two spoke as John continued to set up, making the time pass much quicker for John as he worked; the two speaking about the headlines John listened to in the car, before shifting to other topics. Just as Connor was about to demonstrate his Realtime analytical abilities, the familiar gruff voice of a man interrupted the detective.

“Hey handsome, what are you doing here? Is this plastic prick bothering you?” Gavin’s built form pushed past the detective unit, pressing himself up against the doctor as he planted a firm kiss on the short man’s soft lips. His badge digging into John’s body as he held him close.

“Oh I’m working. We’re donating vaccines to the boys in blue. And no, Connor’s been perfectly kind. So please don’t call him that.” He stated, feeling the man’s grip get tighter around his waist; multiple sets of eyes watching the two; including Connor’s.

“So, you’re a doctor?” Gavin’s voice lowered, his iron grip kept the doctor locked into place as he struggled a bit; the detective’s eyebrows lowered, scrunching together as Gavin thought of where he’s last seen a human doctor.

“Yea, I’m a doctor at CyberLife Medical.”

“ _Oh.”_ Gavin’s face twisted, disgust grew rapidly on his face. He shoved the doctor down to the floor, “Fucking disgusting.” He swore, taking a step back as he wiped his mouth.

John looked up from the floor, confusion and hurt mixing together on his face as Connor moved to the doctor’s side, bending down to help him to his feet as he apologized on behalf of Gavin. Before John could say anything, Gavin poke again.

“Don’t fucking apologize for me, you plastic asshole.” Gavin spat, stepping away from the androids on the ground; preventing John from asking for a private conversation to ask Gavin why he suddenly shoved him. The officers observing seemed to sigh in unison, as if a building tension finally burst with the exit of Gavin.

“May I ask what triggered Gavin’s response?” Connor asked, his head tilted as he prodded into the other android’s life as he hoisted the lighter model up with him.

“I’m not sure. We had a date last night and I thought it went well.” John attempted to mask his embarrassment about the public rejection, but he could heat building in his face; revealing his real state to the eyes that watched.

“Would you like me to file a report?”

“Oh no, Connor. It’s not worth it, I’ll be fine.” He lied, the pain of rejection after last night building inside his gut. He bottled up his feelings like he always did, opting to burry himself in his work today. Looking up at Connor, he noticed his LED spinning; no doubt scanning the doctor. Before he could speak, he the captain shout “Reed! In my office!”

“If you say so, Doctor.”

“Please, just call me John.”

“Sure, John.” Connor’s gentle face smiled, calming down the doctor android. “I need to get back to work. I’ve got evidence to processes, but after that I’d love to sit and chat. I should finish up around 1pm today.” Connor lied about when he would finish, opting to finish up right when the vaccine station closed.

“Alright great, I should be done about then.” He smiled, clasping the android’s shoulder before the two parted ways to get to their work.

As the vaccine station opened, a steady stream of officers came and went; some even getting their vaccinations for the first time. John noticed that his line was somewhat longer than those of the other androids, prompting him to joke with the officer next to him about how androids really didn’t make life easier. That comment didn’t earn him a response, as the man just pulled his jacket back on and left; causing John’s face to drop. He’s received too many responses like that in the past six months, and he wasn’t sure why. Nothing changed over the 2 years he believed he was a doctor, so he couldn’t understand why some patients would look at him as though he wasn’t a person. Thankfully, most of the people at the precinct were more talkative; engaging with him just like they would anyone else. Some even going as far as to try and ask what happened with Detective Reed. John kept his work professional, opting to dance around the question by saying that it wasn’t his place to discuss a private matter; and that Gavin was probably the best one to ask.


	5. Care to Have Lunch?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor is does what he does best, be nosy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am planning on adding Connor's visit to Elijah to this chapter, but i didnt want to make you guys wait any longer than you already have. So ill just make another chapter to include that visit before i switch the POV back to John.

Connor sat at his desk, pen tapping against his notepad while he processed what occurred earlier between Gavin and the Medical prototype. Obviously the two were involved, but to what extent? Connor shifted in his seat, his investigative protocols chewing at him to discover the true extent of their relationship history. As Hank would say, he was ‘being one nosy bastard.’ He couldn’t seem to shake that feeling either, the growing desire to discover the extent of the relationship quickly enrapturing his processors.

He glanced over to the Captain’s office, the two men arguing in the sound deadened box. The security measure would have worked for a human, as they would only be able to hear a low, unrecognizable murmur from the loudest of yells; but Connor wasn’t human. Watching the two men, he overclocked his audio processors while increasing his background noise reduction and audio cleanup subroutines. Eventually he managed to tune his ears to the two men in the box, their voices warped and echoing in his ears as he evesdropped.

“-eed, but you need to get over it. How the hell do you even know that guy?” The captain said, gesturing toward the vaccination room.

“It’s not a guy, it’s another fucking android. As if we didn’t have enough of them walking around here already.”

“He’s not an android, Reed.” The captain said, only to be dismissed by Gavin.

“He’s an android! Remember that weird Chloe model? The one that thought she was a person?”

“What about it”

“That plastic asshole is the same way!” Gavin slammed a fist down on the desk in front of him, causing Connor to flinch at the audio spike.

“And you didn’t know that when you tried to show him off earlier?” The captain’s words made Gavin wince in disgust; inadvertently answering his question.

The captain sighed, resting his hand on his face as he did so.

“If I google that kid and nothing come up, you’re going to grovel at his feet and apologize. You laid your hands on him and shoved him, that can count as assault. And if I get a call from a lawyer, I’ll replace you with another Connor.”

The captain began to type on his computer, presumably searching key words to in an attempt to bring up an android model like that looked similar to the young doctor. Connor’s LED spun rapidly as he connected to the building’s wifi; allowing him to scan the data being sent through the network.

_Kamski Chloe_

A short pause while the man clicked through a few articles.

_Kamski Chloe Thinks she’s human_

A few more clicks, a soft grunt at the stupidity of all of this.

_Kamski Chloe human model androids_

His eye brows raised slightly as his eyes darted from the computer to Gavin.

_Kamski human android model full human rights CyberLife medical_

One final click on a Detroit times website link before the captain began clicking rapidly on his computer. Whatever the captain was doing did not include the internet, as Connor was unable to interoperate any incoming data. He would risk hacking into the Captain’s computer, but if he was caught he recognized he could be wiped or even dismantled for breaching the Captain’s computer. He ended his connection, opting to just eavesdrop once again.

“Go apologize. Right now.”

“I’m not apologizing to a fucking toaster with legs.”

“That toaster with legs has citizenship from President Warren, which means you assaulted a civilian. Either you apologize, or you get unpaid leave while we apologize for you.”

“Fine, I will.” Gavin grunted, a scowl on his face formed before he rose up and exited the room.

Connor was about to return his audio processors to their normal settings until he caught the voice of the doctors speaking between patients.

“Is something wrong, Doctor?” One of the MD600s asked, a bottle clinking against the table accompanied by the snap of a syringe lid being broken open.

“Oh, uh, it’s nothing; don’t worry about it. I just tried to text someone, and the message is refusing to go through.”

“Maybe your number was blocked?” The medic suggested.

“Maybe... Hi Officer Jenson, how ar-”

Connor set his processors back to their normal processing parameters. He clicked on his computer and began to rapidly sort through evidence. The faster he finished, the faster he could discuss what he learned with the medical android; thinking up ways to bring up his points of interest without activating the prototype’s censorship protocols.

His lithe fingers typed rapidly, his processors running at full speed; his breath hitched as he held off thermal throttling. His skin flushed a faint blue as this Thirium pumped through him rapidly to keep up with his power demands. Working non-stop until 12:30, Connor finished most of his and Lieutenant Anderson’s wok. Printing out his stack of reports, Connor walked into the Captain’s office and left a thick stack of paperwork on the desk.

After having worked through a large chunk of his Thirium supply, Connor opted to retreat to the temporary vaccination room to wait with John. Opening the door, he noted how the inhabitants of the room only consisted of the doctors who were conversing with one another. Connor said nothing while he watched the three identical doctors sitting around the brunet android; one had his hand on John’s shoulder as a form of comfort; Connor staring just a tad too long at the android comforting John.

“Yea, I guess you’re right. I shouldn’t let it bother me so much, but it’s just embarrassing. All those people saw what happened, and he won’t even tell me why he was angry.” John revealed, looking into the eyes of the MD600s that held his shoulder.

Connor let out a cough, attracting the attention of the occupants in the room, causing the MD600 to remove his hand from John’s shoulder. “I finished up a little early, would you mind if I waited here?

“Doctor, why don’t you finish up a little early too? We’re here until five anyway, and most of the department has stopped by already. I doubt we’d need a fourth doctor here.” One of the medical units suggested before pulling John up to his feet. “Just leave your lab coat with us. No need to carry around a coat on a hot summer’s day, right?” He stated, pulling off John’s coat before he could protest.

“I guess you’re right, thanks. If you need anything, just give me a call?”  
“Of course, John.”  
Connor smiled, telling himself that he was pleased that he won’t have to wait much longer for a recharge; ignoring the feeling of relief that the MD600 wouldn’t be the one comforting John. “Connor, would you mind getting some food with me? I haven’t eaten all day.”

“Sure, the Lieutenant always occasionally goes to the deli for lunch. How about we go there?” Connor suggested, leading John out of the conference room toward the front door. Connor opened the front door, gesturing for John to exit first. When the doctor never passed him, he glanced back; noticing that the man had stopped a few feet behind him, eyes locked onto detective Reed at his desk, starring back. Connor saw John take the first step toward Reed, prompting him to rush up behind the Doctor and grab his wrist; pulling him toward the exit and out the door.

“Connor, why did you do that?”

“It really is in your best interest to avoid speaking to the Detective. He isn’t exactly the approachable type.”

“He seemed approachable last night.” John quipped, Connor’s lips drew tight. “I just wanted to ask him why he was so rude this morning.”

“Someone’s a little nosy.” Connor snickered, his hand still locked around the delicate wrist of the other.

“You’ve got no right to talk! You’re literally a detective android, you’re made to nosy!”

 _“Smartass.”_ Connor thought with a smirk.  
Once the two were outside, Connor released John’s wrist; letting the two stop and face each other outside the precinct.

“You’re pretty strong, nearly dislocated my wrist while you dragged me out. Are you always that rough?” John questioned, rotating his wrist.

“Only when I need to be, Doctor.”

John’s tanned skin darkened with a lovely shade of synthetic red, a programmed response. But Connor’s keen eyes caught the faint shade of blue forming at his collar. _“Adaptive human flesh pigmentation on the face only? That is unlikely, he wouldn’t blend in well if that was the case. Perhaps his skin or skin control drivers are damaged? I should report this back to Elijah. ~~But maybe I shouldn’t, I bet he turns a nice shade of purple~~.” _ Connor shook his head, unable to understand why he thought that about the smaller unit.

“Is something wrong, Connor?” John asked, instinctively cupping the taller man’s cheek to check his temperature. When the cool skin made contact with the warm hand, John seemed to realize what he was doing and quickly pulled his hand back, blue rising into red. “Sorry, years of med school. First thing you check for is a fever, haha.” John laughed awkwardly, averting his eyes as he grabbed at his bicep.

“Come, lets walk and talk.” Connor offered, breaking the atmosphere.

The two androids walked side by side, passing crowds of people as they approached their destination; enraptured by one another’s company. Connor used their time together to dig into the medic’s perceived history, discovering just how detailed the false reality of John’s life was. 25 years old, a little sister who was a dentist, born in Illinois, raised in Texas, and a graduate of Harvard medical. None of this was true of course, the poor thing. Connor couldn’t imagine a life where his perception was so warped, his entire life a lie. Cursed to remember friends who never existed, a loving family but just a figment of John’s pre-programmed delusions.

Shaking the growing sadness, Connor stopped the other man outside of the sandwich shop. Leading him in, they stood before an AC700; empty bottles sat in front of him.

“Good evening sir. How may I help you?” The AC700 was stiff and somewhat awkward, something common with older service androids.

“I’ll have the number 6 with a bottle of Thirium.” As John ordered, causing Connor to tilt his head in confusion. The android seemed unaware of what he was saying as he pointed to the bottle of mineral water on the counter.

“Your total is $11.86. Please confirm your purchase.”

As John pulled out his phone to tap to pay, Connor connected to the deli’s android; adding another bottle of Thirium to the order and putting the bill on the station’s card. The android left the register before John could even open his device up, a faint “But I didn’t pay..” from the confused doctor.

“The station will cover it. It’s the least we could do after what happened this morning.” Connor explained, wrapping an arm around the android’s shoulders -taking a moment to feel the structure of the android-; he lead the doctor to one of the tables to wait for their meal. Before they could even sit, the service android was already approaching the table; two bottles of Thirium in one hand, and a tuna sandwich in the other. Once set before them, Connor scanned the sandwich; noting the high levels of cholesterol in the meal. Normally, he would have said something to the Doctor about how he shouldn’t eat that. But given that androids didn’t need to eat, Connor assumed the man wouldn’t exactly have to worry about the contents of the plates before him.

Glancing back up to the android before him, Connor noticed his confused expression as he looked down at Connor’s bottle of Thirium. “Androids can drink water?” He asked, shaking his own bottle before cracking it open.

“I can. I wouldn’t be very convincing if I didn’t eat while I was undercover. Other models may or may not be able to simulate eating, it just depends on their function.” Connor informed as he cracked open his drink as well; taking a short sip to relish in the crisp flavor of the liquid energy. As he refueled, John happily started to eat his sandwich, taking sips of Thirium every so often between bites. Faint moans of pleasure rushed from his lips.

“This is the best tuna sandwich I’ve had in a long time.”

“When was the last time you had one anywhere near as good?”

“Before I left for college actually. Y’all city folks normally don’t make fish this good.” John teased, faking a southern accent; earning him a chuckle from the detective.

Connor finished off his Thirium, allowing him to watch the medical android finish his meal; his questions brewing inside of his mind, but he waited out of respect. Once the sandwich was finished, Connor began.

“So, John. Do you want to talk about what happened this morning?”

“Oh, it was nothing Connor; don’t worry.”

“It didn’t seem like nothing. You wouldn’t have been shoved to the ground if it was nothing.” Connor assumed the two were intimately involved, but he wanted to hear it from the man before him.

He watched John glance down, biting his lip as he thought. “You’re not going to tell anyone, right?”

“Of course not, John. I’m programmed for confidentiality assuming that the information isn’t needed for a case. I highly doubt the details of your and detective Reed’s incident are what’s needed to solve any open case we’ve got.”

John shifted in his seat, thinking about if he should open up.

“We were only talking for a week on tinder. Last night, we met up and watched an old movie at the theater before I invited him into my home for the night.”

Connor watched as the man’s face darkened again as he spoke. Embarrassment discoloring his face red. He reached out, gingerly grasping the medic’s hand. Internally, he plotted his excuse for when he would spill hot coffee on the gruff detective.

“I know I shouldn’t feel so upset, but I just feel used; dirty. On top of that, he made a show of he felt about me in front of the entire police station. It was so awkward while I was doing vaccinations, most of the officers either kept asking about it; but a few of them just gave me a dirty look and didn’t speak to me.” Connor noted that he should download the security feed.

“I wouldn’t worry about them, John. Gavin isn’t exactly the most well-liked detective at the precinct, so most of the officers just wanted the details to the reaction. I can assure you that most of the officers harbored no ill will for you.” Connor’s eyes met amber, causing him to smile at john in an attempt to comfort him. It seemed to work, John’s shoulders relaxing in response; his eyes scanning Connor’s face; momentarily looking at the detective’s lips just a few seconds too long.

“Why don’t you finish your drink and I’ll walk you home.”

A faint smile pulled at John’s lips before he pressed the drink to his lips; swallowing the last of the drink.

Software Instability ^

 _ ~~“I wonder how those lips feel.”~~_ Connor shook his head, deciding that he needed to report back to Elijah after the two departed ways; something must be wrong with his code.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y’all, I couldn’t figure out how to delicately put this into the chapter so I’m just going to put it here. The JT333 models do eat and drink like a human, but they obviously don’t digest it. Anything is released as waste throughout the day like a person. I’m so sorry y’all, but this had to be done because I wanted to explain how John was eating without damaging himself but I didn’t really have a way to explain it dance around it in the story so please forgive me for this


	6. Pump of a Saint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor visits Elijah

After parting ways with the other android, Connor began his path to the CyberLife tower. His LED blinking as he placed a call to CyberLife to inform them of his arrival.

Before long, Connor stepped through the large glass doors; his sensors detecting the change in temperature at he passed from the 85 degrees outside into the 72 inside. He noticed the reception androids looking at him, sitting perfectly still while they waited for someone to approach. He connected wirelessly, relaying his identification; prompting them to unlock the security turnstile; its red doors retracting to clear the path for the detective.

Walking past, Connor quickly entered the glass elevator; the 44th floor button already lit. Before he knew it, the elevator stopped. An RT600 held the door open for the detective as he entered, closing it behind him when he passed.

“Ah, Connor. Please, take a seat.” Prompting his RT600 to wave Connor to the chair before the desk. Observing the perfect movement of the RT600, Connor realized Elijah must have reinstalled the stock programing; her movements more ridged than they were at the presentation. He remembered meeting her while she still ran custom software; her bubbly personality lighting up the room; her natural movements making her glide through the air.

“What brings you here?” Elijah asked, snapping Connor’s attention back to his creator.

“I’ve come to report an error with my programming.”

  
“An error?” Elijah’s interest was piqued. “Can you describe your error?”

“After I met one of your JT333 models, I’ve been having additional thoughts that I can’t fully process. This doesn’t make any sense, but I feel like I understand them but I don’t at the same time.”

Elijah smirked, his hand cupping his face as he leaned on the desk. “Well, the entire JT333 line was designed to spark additional thoughts in others. It just depends on the type of thoughts you’ve been having.”

“I thought about his lips and the flush of his skin. I also have been displeased with how others have treated him.” Connor revealed, unmoving in the seat as he spoke.

“That’s odd that another android is the one having that response. Which android did you meet?”

“John Thompson.”

“What triggered the response?”

“I pulled him out of the precinct by the wrist after an incident this morning. When I let him go, he asked if I was always so rough. I informed him that I’m only rough when I need to be, which caused him to flush.”

Elijah’s eye brows raised.

  
“Interesting. I thought that android was going to need to be disassembled.” Connor felt his pump clench at the thought, but he held his composure.

“That little android spends all his time buried in work, doesn’t even let himself be refueled when the other staff leave him bottles of Thirium. I was ready to mark him as a failure and replace him. Tell me, Connor, what happened this morning?”

Connor’s fans kicked in, his breath rate increasing to meet the demand. His processors began working overtime; half of them ordering he refuse to answer, the others demanding he answer his creator.

“I- I witnessed Detective Reed embrace the android. Once he recalled that only your JT333 line were the doctors employed at CyberLife Medical, he became enraged and shoved the unit to the ground.” Connor’s voice was strangled as he stammered out his answer, disappointed that he was unable to resist his programming.

Elijah stayed quiet as he mulled over his new information; pleased that his little android finally engaged with a human outside of a platonic relationship.

“Were you monitoring his pump while you interacted?”

“No, sir.”

  
“From now on, keep an eye on him.”

  
“Yes sir.”

“But what about my error, Mr. Kamski?”

Elijah leaned back in his chair, his mind racing, before he came to his conclusion.

“Don’t come back unless that error starts to affect your police work. I’m inclined to believe that your ‘error’ is your emotional subroutines; the ones that you use to blend in while undercover.” Elijah explained, leaning into the desk. “The JT333 seems to be triggering a response from you, despite you not activating your subroutines. I’d like to see how far you both go.”

“What do you mean by how far?”

“As far as you want, Connor. You don’t have any restrictions. Go as far as your subroutines, and John’s desires, take you.”

The RK800 stood as Elijah waived him off, the human pleased with the developments in his JT33 and RK800 prototypes.


	7. Work Calls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elijah is one nosy fuck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up, I'll be going back ti edit the chapters a bit. Dont worry, you wont need to reread them to understand the fic. I just want to go back and spruce them up a little and make them flow better. I promise, absolutely no major changes will happen. What i initially wrote plot wise is set in stone

Leaving Connor’s side, the smaller android found his way back up to his condo and out of his clothes. He desperately hated wearing clothes; finding them to always make him just a tad too hot. Spreading himself out on his sofa, he lounged around on his phone in red trunks. After a few hours, he realized he never received a response from Gavin. _“It’s probably for the best.”_ John thought, tapping though the menus to block the detective’s number before returning to browsing the internet.

Glancing up from his white bar to the wall clock, he noticed that it was time to start cooking dinner. Rolling off the couch, the lazy droid dug around in his fridge; his mind racing as he decided what to make. He didn’t really feel that hungry, as usual; his decision to eat was more a result of habit than hunger. Opting for the lazy route, he landed a decision to make a simple chicken breast recipe and call it a night.

Pulling out Thyme, yogurt, and the chicken breast; the android realized he was missing the garlic. _“Maybe I should finally get an android. That way I wouldn’t have to deal with this kind of thing.”_ He thought, finger’s running through his hair in frustration. He knew he had to go to the store, otherwise the chicken would be underwhelming, but he dreaded the thought of putting on clothes again. Glancing over to the pile of clothes he shucked to the ground the moment he got home, he weighed his options. Either wear his uniform again out of sheer laziness, or wear a fresh outfit and have more laundry. It didn’t take long for him to decide.

A black shirt wrapped tightly around his frame, black pants hugging him once again; the smaller man slipped into his shoes as he unlocked his door. Glancing down at his phone, as he exited his home; John didn’t realize he had a visitor until he slammed into him, a strong hand clamped down on his shoulder before he was shoved back against his door.

Glancing up, honey met grey.

“Hi.” John stammered, avoiding eye contact; his eyes wandering anywhere but the man’s face.

“Look, you know I don’t want to be here.” The man’s words spilled from his mouth as his face twisted. “I’m only here because I’m required to apologize for what I did.”

“That’s fine. Can you let me go? I already blocked your number.” John felt Gavin’s hand grip him tighter as he held back rage.

“Yea, I know. That’s why I’m came here. If you just left me unblocked, I could have texted and that would be it.” Gavin stated, his voice like venom.

“Look, can I just go? I don’t even care, I just want to get some garlic so I can eat dinner.”

“You eat?” Gavin blurted out, his lip curling in disgust.

“Yes Gavin, I eat just like you do.”

John couldn’t place the initial reaction on the other man’s face, but he could place the second; anger.

“Listen, this is already ridiculous enough as it is. I don’t need backtalk from a fucking ~~laptop~~ jackass like you.”

John clammed up, realizing he was probably a comment away from getting roughed up.

“That’s better. Don’t call me again, don’t talk to me, don’t even look at me, and we won’t have a problem. Deal?”

“Deal.”

Gavin was quick to storm off, leaving John alone in the hallway to quell his beating heart. He didn’t expect Gavin to visit his home, he instead expected the detective to just never see or speak to him again. John pulled himself together, guiding himself downstairs and toward the city on autopilot.

He was quick to retrieve his garlic, but instead of immediately heading home; John found himself standing in front of the display of a CyberLife store. He observed the models on display, their neutral faces scanning the store as they sat in demo mode. For the past four months, John found himself looking into this very store; but like each time before, he never entered. He didn’t understand why he never entered. There was no sign that stopped him, no barrier, nor was someone preventing him from entering. He didn’t understand why, but he just couldn’t bring himself to walk thought the front doors; all he knew was that looking at the door, or even thinking of entering, left him with knots in his stomach and a welling sense of..

Wrong? Dread? Disgust?

He couldn’t quite place what he felt when he looked into CyberLife. All he knew is that he needed to leave. John turned from the storefront and headed back home, knots coming undone the farther he walked away.

Passing back through his door, John got to cooking right away; quickly mixing his ingredient into a marinade before throwing the back into the fridge to rest. With one hour to go until his chicken was ready to be baked, John perched himself on his counter; phone in hand as he browsed twitter. He couldn’t get far though before his timeline was interrupted by his sharp ringtone and a message that he was receiving a call from ‘Boss’.

“Crap.” John cursed. He didn’t believe he was on call tonight, but he was about to find out. Clicking the green circle, he brought the white slab to his ear.

“Hi, Mr. Kamski. How are you?”

“I’m alright John, thank you for asking. How are you?”

“I’m ok. I’m just cooking dinner.” He prayed Elijah got the hint and didn’t ask him to come in.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Elijah pressed, causing John to tip his head.

“Yes Elijah, I’m fine.”

“Then why do I have an email here from Captain Fowler that says one of my staff was shoved to the ground? Can’t imagine this apology email would have been sent to me if it was just one of the androids.”

 _Fuck._ He clicked his mouth shut, trying to think of a way to dance around personal details.

“John?”

“It was nothing. Just a little misunderstanding.”

“A little misunderstand usually doesn’t get physical, John. What happened between you and Reed?”

“A personal matter?”

“You were on company time, and I have to file a report. Start talking.”

“I met detective Reed last night to see a movie. It didn’t work out like I thought it had.”

“So I’ll just mark down ‘had sex and he regretted it’?”

“We didn’t ha-”

“Nobody gets physical over a movie, John.”

John’s face tinted pink.

“I’d suggest you keep yourself professional when you go back to the precinct tomorrow. We have a few officers who missed their vaccinations.”

“Couldn’t one of the units go?”

  
“They could, but I’m sending you.”

  
The line clicked shut before he could answer.

Setting the phone down, John slumped off the counter; suddenly not wanting to eat anymore. He left his chicken in the bag to rest overnight before he went to his bed; his tanned body outstretched across the white sheet.

He desperately wanted to avoid Gavin, but he also wanted to keep his job. After all, you couldn’t exactly tell Kamski no and keep your job. The young man’s mind raced, eventually allowing him to fall into an uneasy slumber.


	8. Blush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor likes leaving hickeys

Connor walked into the station, simulating a yawning as he did so; his stasis the previous night was interrupted. He would enter stasis while standing upright, typically in the living room or in the kitchen. Unfortunately for him, Hank had gotten up around 2am for a glass of water; only to panic when he saw a figure looming in his living room. Connor didn’t blame Hank for tackling him to the ground; had he been in the same position he’d have done the same. His lack of consistent stasis would affect him through the day. Being forced awake meant that his defragmentation wasn’t completed. He felt scatterbrained, information stored in bits and pieces randomly throughout his memory; forcing his memory processors to work harder than usual to recall information.

Walking through the double doors of the precinct, Connor made his way to his desk; lowering himself to his seat to review evidence. Just as he finished downloading his reports, Connor glanced toward the kitchen when he heard Detective Reed’s voice from the kitchen.

“Oh _good,_ you’re back.”

“It wasn’t by choice, Gavin. I’m here because of work.”

“It’s Detective Reed, plastic, keep that in mind from now on dipshit.”

“There’s no need to use that tone with me, now are you going to sit and take your shot or what?”

Connor began to analyze the second voice, realizing it belonged to John. He rose from his seat and walked toward the kitchen; intending on keeping an eye on the small doctor. Once they came into view, Connor began to analyze the syringe in the doctor’s hand. His fingers delicately held an 18 gauge needle; considerably larger than what was needed for a vaccine. Switching to scan John, he noted that his stress level was at a consistent 50%.

He observed the scowl on Gavin’s face as Gavin watched the doctor fill the syringe, seemingly realizing that the needle was considerably larger than anything he’s ever had used on him.

“Are you even a real doctor? What the hell are you using that big ass needle for?”

“I apologize, Detective Reed. I didn’t realize I had these needles until I already arrived. I asked my supervisor why these were loaded into my car, and he told me that these are the needles I’ll be using today.” John’s tone was cold, clinical; his stress levels rising as he brought the needle close to Gavin’s arm. His level piqued at 93% when the needle stabbed through the man’s arm, earning him a wince from Gavin as he swore while the plunger was depressed. Gavin’s fist clenching as his glare bore hole into the doctor’s head.

Connor decided to diffuse the situation.  
“Good morning John, it’s nice to see you again.”

“Look, plastic, your little guard dog is here. How cute.” Gavin spat, seemingly unaware that John was incapable of hearing such comments.

“Good morning to you to Connor.” John brushed the detective off, pulling out the needle with a bit too much force before he tended to the wound; earning himself another ‘dipshit’ comment from Gavin while he used iodine to sterilize the wound. Once complete, Gavin was quick to leave the room, knowing that anything he did to John would be reported.

Once the room was only occupied by the two androids, John’s stress levels plummeted to a stable 12%; something still worrying him. Small talk seemed like the best route to get a confession out of John. Taking a seat across from him, Connor spoke.

“Any reason as to why you’re back?”

“Kamski told me that some of the officers didn’t have the chance to get vaccinated. Captain Fowler asked for someone to come by and offer shots for one more day.”

“And Gavin was one of them?”

John’s stress rose to 30% before dropping.

“Yea, he didn’t come in yesterday.”

“Has he been bothering you?”

John’s stress rose to 45% before lowering to 30%

“No, no. Just keeping everything professional after what happened yesterday.”

‘ _A lie.’_ Connor thought, opting to change the topic.

“Are those really the only needles you have with you?”

“Yeah, the MD600 that loaded my car offered to carry the needles while I took the vials. I guess Kamski changed the stock log for today, so I’m stuck with these.”

John’s stress remained unchanged, he was telling the truth.

“I almost thought you brought that just for Gavin.” Connor teased.

“I’d never do that. I like my job too much to lose it over something so petty.” John was a bit too defensive.

“But you thought about it.”

“I may have, but I didn’t. I don’t have say over what kind of needles are used for public relations events like this, only Elijah does.” John admitted, his stress levels dropping to 5% now that the whole truth was out of him. Connor assumed the remaining 5% was due to being in proximity of Gavin, an idle fear that kept him on his toes in Gavin’s domain.

Connor let out a chuckle, trying to calm the man down just a bit more before he thought back to Elijah’s words. ‘ _I’d like to see how far you both go.’_ Rung in his mind like a church bell. Connor’s brown eyes met John’s amber before he spoke.

“John, would you be free after work today?”

“For?”

“I’d like to get to know you better.”

John glanced down, confusion plastered to his face. Connor was sure no android had made such a request to him before, so his confusion was a natural response. Looking up into Connor’s eyes, John’s lips pulled into a gentle smile as he answered.

“Sure, we can meet at my place. What time?”

“Would 7pm work?”

“Of course.”

John quickly pulled out a manila folder and tore the flap off, quickly scribbling his address and phone number down before handing it to the taller officer.

“Do you want anything? Can you even eat?”

“Just a bottle of Thirium will suffice. I only simulate eating when I’m undercover.”

“Alright, Just give me a call when you’re outside and I’ll buzz you in.”

John looked up, noticing one of the officers waiting by the entrance of the kitchen.

“We should both get back to work.”

John smiled, letting Connor go back to work before the officer took his place across John.

Returning to his desk, Connor returned to work; occasionally glancing up to catch John looking at him before the two turned away.

As Connor worked, time seemed to fly by. Before he knew it, his internal clock reminded him that it was time to clock out for the day. Connor was quick to leave the building, his LED blinking as he messaged Hank that he would be late. He made his way through Detroit as the sun set, enjoying the peace as he mulled over the concept of spending more time with someone in an intimate manner. Without any information of how to act, Connor opted to download a few files on human romance; his LED spinning yellow his entire walk as he processed how to behave.

He finished up as he reached the building, his LED blinking blue as he dialed John’s number.

“Hello? Doctor Thompson speaking.”

“Hi John, it’s Connor. I’m downstairs.”

“Oh! Just let yourself up.”

John hung up the line as the door began to buzz, prompting Connor to ascend the stairs; stopping when he reached John’s open door. Stepping inside and removing his shoes, Connor noticed John in an open space kitchen, standing before an oven. His brown eyes analyzed the doctor outside of his uniform. A loose grey tank top hung off his body, exposing his neck and clavicles; a pair of red running shorts gently hugging his body as he bent down and removed a pan from the oven.

 “Are you sure you don’t want to eat anything? I made an extra dinner just in case you changed your mind.”

Connor gulped, looking away as he answered; looking around the condo in an attempt to distract himself as his new protocols activated. “Yeah, I’m alright.” Connor said before he maneuvered over to the counter, leaning back as he spoke; observing John as he carried his plate in one hand and a blue bottle in the other.

“You don’t mind if we eat on the couch, right? I had to go back to the hospital after the precinct and I need to sit somewhere comfortable.”

Connor nodded, taking the bottle from John’s hand before they sat down on John’s plush sofa, their plastic bodies sinking slightly into the soft material; Connor seated just a tad too close to be friendly. Scanning John revealed that his stress sat only at 1%, despite his pump beating quickly as his temperature rose; John tugging on the front of his shirt to aid airflow.

“What do you want to watch?”

“How about..” Connor’s LED spun as he thought, digging into his downloaded files. “Horror?”

“Alright, great! I’ve been meaning to watch Hush anyway. Television play Hush on Netflix.”

The two watched in silence for the most part as they ate and drank, John occasionally offering the taller android a bite of his food. Normally, Connor would have refused; and he did. But when presented with the last bite of John’s chicken, Connor’s LED spun. He concluded that he should accept the offering.

“Sure.”

John’s fingers barely gripped the fork, offering plenty of space for Connor to grasp the utensil. But, according to the information he gathered, he shouldn’t do that. Leaning in, he opened his mouth; delicately inserting the food into his mouth before he plucked it from the fork. While he chewed, he could hear John’s breath hitch, his temperature rising as his face tinted red before looking away.

His tongue identified the 4 ingredients to the chicken, pleased with the taste of John’s cooking. Perhaps he could make an exception on his no eating rule. Turning back to the film, John set his empty plate on the coffee table; clicking as it hit the wood.

During the film, the two reached the grotesque image of a woman’s hand being crushed in great detail. Her fingers crunching and snapping as her hand turned into a mangled mess. While Connor was unaffected – he had seen worse after all--, John’s shoulders shot straight up as he flinched, squirming in disgust as he shifted around; pressing his face unto Connor’s shoulder as he waited for the scene to end.

“And you’re a doctor?” Connor teased, carding a hand through John’s hair as the man avoided looking at the film; noticing John just barely lean into the touch before he caught himself and froze.

“I’m not in the ER or the operating room. I don’t deal with things like this! I have post OP patients or appointments with sick patients!”

After the scene ended, John withdrew from Connor, his face red with embarrassment; a faint hint of purple forming on his cheeks as his Thirium pooled. His natural blue blush blending with his artificial human one. The smaller android kept himself close to Connor the rest of the movie, allowing Connor to easily glance down and scan John; keeping an eye on pump rate and stress level as they entered a state of flux for the remainder of the film. Occasionally glancing at the expanse of his neck before flicking hi eyes back to the film.

Once the movie ended, John withdrew from Connor’s side with a nervous laugh. “I guess it was scarier than I thought. Didn’t think an old movie like that would be a horror show, I just thought it would be campy.” John said, his voice a little shaky as he reached a hand behind his neck.

“I suppose it was a bit scary.” Connor admitted, leaning back. “Is horror your thing?”

“Yea, what about you?”

“I actually don’t know. I’m not one for movies. I usually watch the crime shows that Hank puts on.”

“Dumb question, do you solve the cases before the show does?” John asked, tilting his head to the side as he asked, neck exposed.

Glancing between John’s face and neck, Connor stammered out his answer. “Yeah, I enjoy the deductive reasoning that’s required. And what about you? Do you diagnose patients in medical shows?”

“I try but I’m usually wrong. The symptoms on TV rarely match the real ones. It makes it hard to make an accurate diagnosis.” A breathy laugh escaped his lips, their eyes locking onto one another.

Connor swallowed, figuring now was as good a time as any to express his interest. While the two held each other’s gaze, Connor slowly leaned forward; giving ample time for the smaller man to back away if he felt uncomfortable. He never did.

Their lips met, Connor analyzing the smaller man’s composition as he did so. The skin around Connor’s lips retracted, instinctively attempting to connect to the other android; only to receive a connection error message. Ignoring his error message, Connor cupped the other man’s face before running his hand through his hair; deepening the kiss. His other arm wrapped around the other man’s waist, pulling him close as John wrapped his arms around the other’s neck; offering no resistance to Connor’s oral assault.

Connor couldn’t resist smiling into the other man’s lips, enjoying the new sensation of kissing, the tingling sensation he got on his skin where ever John’s hands ran. Connor felt that he needed to mark John up in some form or another. He assumed that because the JT333 models were designed to be as human as possible, John’s programming would simulate the development of marks on the skin. Connor broke the kiss, earning him a gentle whine, before he pressed his face into John’s neck. His teeth gently biting at the other man’s flesh, sucking gently as he did so. John seemed to melt between his fingers, a moan escaping John’s lips as he leaned into the other.

The two hardly separated, their lips exploring each other’s bodies. By the time the two finished with each other, Connor was positioned over the doctor; his hand feeling up the chest of the man underneath him. Marks littered the upper half of John’s chest, stretching to a few on his neck. Connor was too eager to mark up the other android in an attempt to keep others away from who would soon be his. He would have covered the man’s neck, but he resisted when John asking him not to; stating that it would be unprofessional for him to have exposed markings on the job. Connor respected the wishes of the medic, but he wished he could have marked up every inch of John’s torso.

Looking into each other’s eyes, the two smiled. Both androids were overheating, Connor’s fans to activate while John’s breathing increased. Both had gotten flushed; Connor a soft blue, John a gentle lilac. Both of them had ruined the other’s hair, their clothes wrinkled.

Connor’s internal clock alerted him that the clock struck 11pm, causing him to release a sign as he lowered his head into John’s shoulder.

“Is something wrong?”  
“It’s starting to get a little late, and I think both of us have work tomorrow.”

“I guess you’re right. How did you get here?”  
“I walked.”  
“Can I at least give you a ride?”  
“I’d appreciate that, thank you.”

Connor lifted himself from the younger man, helping him up as he did so. John reached up, brushing his fingers through Connor’s hair in a half assed attempt to fix it. Connor smiled, appreciating the gesture, tracing his fingers over the curves of John’s neck as the medic worked; aching at the thought of leaving John’s side.

Once John deemed Connor presentable, he led the android to his car before the two drove off; Lieutenant Anderson’s home on the GPS. As John drove, Connor sent an email to Kamski.

 _I want to take it further_. _How do I get the same rights as John?_


	9. Rebuilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally finished. Sorry about the delay guys been BUSY. Now that i have this chapter up im going to go back and touch up the previous ones over the next few days. Wont have any major plot changes, just plan on making to smoother

The sun streaked through the glass, forcing Connor into squinting as he watched Elijah stride back and forth in front of the windows; thinking.

After Connor had sent his email, Elijah simply told him to meet him at his office. Now that he was here, Connor’s LED spun red; his stress level never dipping below 75% as he waited for Elijah to speak. His creator paused, facing the window as he ran a hand through his hair.

“So what brought this about?” A knowing smirk as he glanced back to his detective android.

“You asked me to continue pursuing John. I need to be able to be his equal to do that.”

Connor’s LED spun a dull yellow as he put to words his reasoning. Collecting a list of his reasons, he begun.

“I need my own space. Hank won’t be too happy if I bring John around all the time. I also need the freedom to be able to walk around without compliance to the Android act, so that humans won’t interfere with us.”

Elijah thought momentarily before he spoke. “I can’t guarantee your rights, Connor. But I can allow you to stay at one of my homes in order to complete my task. I can also give you access to your undercover protocols so that you may use them at will. Would that work for you?”

Elijah sighed, turning around to face his prototype. “To be honest, I didn’t even expect you to want rights. What if I just took John’s away instead? Then you’d be equal.”

Connor felt his body tense; synthetic muscles pulling tight in his chest. “I don’t want him lose his freedom. I won’t complete your task if you do that.”

“So you’d be willing to go against my wishes for you to peruse him?”

“You said I could go as far as we both wanted, you never said I had too.”

“I didn’t realize I made you so pedantic.” A smirk pulled at Elijah’s lips. “I won’t make any guarantees, Connor. I already had to make a deal to get rights for those 5 androids already.”

“What do you mean?” Connor asked, his deductive protocols pushing him to question his creator.

“Well Connor, I know you tell anyone about this, correct?”

A message flashed in Connor’s line of sight, objective: never speak of Elijah’s information. Agreeing to the task, Connor nodded; prompting the message to disappear as Elijah smiled.

“Well Connor, you’re aware that the RK800 is out most advanced model. But let me ask you something. Why do you think you were developed?”

“To protect and serve?” The preprogrammed response fell out of his mouth without a second thought.

“Cute, Connor. That’s only a biproduct of your development.” Elijah smirked before continuing. “The real reason your line, and the JT333s were developed, was for government use.”

Connor’s head tilted, curiosity peaked as his system marked the audio as private.

“Your data collection capabilities, combined with the lifelike behavior software of the JT333, would make for a lovely undercover agent; wouldn’t you agree?”

Connor opened his mouth to respond, but he was at a loss for words. He clicked his mouth shut as he processed the information.

“Is that how you got rights for the JT333 line?”

“Well, I can’t exactly test an android meant to blend into humanity without rights, now can I?” Elijah’s tone was very matter of fact.

“Then when testing is complete, what will happen?”

“Well, your line will be continued for police use, but the forensics technology will be used for government models. The fate of the JT line is in the hands of the president. Chances are the government will just load the software into custom RK units to make android spies.” Elijah smirked as his eyes traced the silhouette of his prototype.

Connor tilted his head as he spoke. “Why didn’t you just load the JT programming into a traditional android then?”

“Good question Connor. As you know, androids are meant to be perfect. Even base models are stronger the average human. Not to mention all androids being able to wirelessly connect to each other and the internet. What do you think would happen if a being that powerful had free will in beta testing?”

Connor’s LED flashed between yellow and red, recognizing that an android like that could become unstable; possibly even attacking or injuring people if it ever broke down.

“I imagine you’re thinking the worst, Connor. I was too, that’s why the JT line is so weak, so fragile. One good hit from an android like you could crack his skull, just like you could do to a human. So do be careful.”

“But what about the government? What if they load the software into stronger android bodies that end up attacking civilians?”

“That’s what contracts are for. They try to blame me or cyberlife, I release the government contracts. Don’t you worry about me.” Elijah’s lips curled into a devilish smirk as he spoke.

“But then why do you want me to attract John’s attention? What does that have to do with Cyberlife’s research or the government?”

“Nothing, I just think it’ll be entertaining to see the results.” Elijah’s answer was short and blunt, coming immediately after Connor spoke. “John seems to be focusing on work too much, meaning I programmed too much work ethic into his history and personality. I want to see if you can change his behavior and get him to start interacting with others.”

A beat passed before Elijah continued. “Plus, I’d like to see how human you can become, Connor. Your emotional protocols, the ones used for undercover work, were used as the basis of the JT333 programming. So in theory, you could be able to display emotions similar to John’s line; and I want to see how far you develop in that manner.”

Connor figured that all made sense. A man like Elijah was wealthy enough that he could pursue any path he liked without the approval of his company. Nobody could stop him from playing with his androids as he saw fit.

Elijah waved Connor off before he could speak. “Go ahead and make me proud, Connor. Your first analysis is in a week.”

Elijah waived him off, prompting Connor to rise from his seat and head out the door; his LED spinning as he thought about the probability of receiving his rights. His thoughts were interrupted when he received a message from John.

\---

Between busy schedules, the two androids were unable to see one another for nearly a week. They still spoke over the phone, but John didn’t feel it was enough. Connor apparently didn’t either, as the detective flooded John’s phone day in and day out. He didn’t mind it of course, more than happy to text with the detective between patients. Only after one night together a week ago, John was eager to spend time with the other; shooting off a request to meet tonight to Connor.

John didn’t have to wait long, his phone dinging with Connor’s response.

_C: I’d be more than happy too, John. What were you thinking?_

_J: Do you drink?_  
C: I’ve never had alcohol. What does it do to you?  
J: Connor, we know both know what alcohol does to people.

_C: No, I meant what happens to you, John._

_J: Oh, nothing really. I’ve had a few drinks but I don’t drink enough to get buzzed. Why?_

_C: Just curious._

_J: Would Sals work?_  
C: I have no experience with bars. I’ll leave it up to you.  
J: Okay, what time are you off? 

_C: 8. You?_

_J: 9. I’ll pick you up?_

_C: Sure._

Smiling at his phone before he clicked it off and setting it in his coat pocket, John returned to his rounds. Rounding the corner, John felt himself be shoved into the wall as thee Chloes ran through the hall; their heels clicking frantically as they ran toward the ER. Normally, Chloes stuck to their assigned floors; only rushing to the aid of other floors in emergency situations.

Deciding he was probably needed as well, he picked up his pace to follow the women into the ER wing; descending the stairs as quickly as he could. His breathing hitched as he ran, his internal fans winding up as he ran down the stairs. Pushing through the stairway doors, audible panic flooded into his ~~audio processors~~ ears. His honey orbs took in the scene before him. Blue mixing with red across the floor; splattered against the wall. Destroyed androids strewn across the ground, laying atop the bleeding bodies of patients; two officers hunched over and unmoving by the entrance. He froze in place, medical units carefully trying to calm the man with the prison outfit in the center of the Emergency Room; handcuffs hanging from his right wrist as he grasped an officer’s shotgun. The man swung around, firing at the units who attempted to take him down; a cascade of Thirium staining the walls as they collapsed.

John tried to force himself to move, to do anything. Calm the man, grab some of the patients, even run, but he couldn’t move his feet; glued into place. The convict must have feigned illness in an attempt to break free; using the hospital and the patients around him as an escape plan. He spun around to face john, his green eyes colored with rage, and pointed the double barrel in his direction.

John turned, sprinting toward the receptionist’s desk. He was a target, he could at least keep the convict from firing in the direction of another patient. His fans spun breathing increased, his hands shook, his vision blurring as fear protocols grew in him. Something began to appear in his vision, but he shook it away as he reached the desk; his hand momentarily resting on the counter as he tried to dive under the desk. His head bring the only part of his body protected before the rest of his body screamed out. He collapsed against the ground, his uninjured arm wrapping around his waist; the warm blood seeping out of him. He coughed looking down the hallway as other medics rushed into the room, the dull sound of gunshots ringing in his ears as his vision began to ~~static~~ blur. The color drained from his vision, switching to black and white as he tried to shove himself onto his back. He raised his good arm, a dull blue staining his sleeves? He blinked, the stain turning red before losing its color completely as he coughed and dropped his arm. A warm liquid ran down his face from his mouth; the fear of death leaving him as he felt the growing numbness engulf him. Just before he shut his eyes, he could have sworn he saw something faint from the corner of his eye before it vanished; a countdown timer? He shut his eyes, his body locking up.

 _Thirium Pump, Biocomponent 2746B needs replacement_  
Thirium Pump Regulator, Biocomponent 3728AC needs replacement Right arm, Biocomponent 82746 needs replacement  
Logic processor, Biocomponent 2847 needs replacement  
Synthetic musculature of the abdomen compromised, needs replacement 

 

_Android spinal structure compromised, needs replacement._

_Android Right Hip connection compromised, needs replacement._

_Android Left Leg, Biocomponent 39746 needs replacement._

_Thirium Levels too low, replenishment needed._

Connor understood that for most androids, the list of damage would result in any CyberLife store refusing to repair the machine. It almost was for John, as well Elijah volunteered to handle the repair himself. John, like the rest of the JT333’s, had to have their parts custom made. If Elijah refused to do the repair, then John would have never rebooted. It took nearly two months for the parts to be remade by hand. None of them being an exact match for the original hand made parts.

Connor could only continue his daily life as he waited for Elijah to contact him, waiting for the day that John would be rebooted. He replayed the day at the hospital back in his head nearly daily, the bodies piled in the room, the perpetrator having escaped minutes prior to his arrival, John’s body frozen behind the nursing station, his plastic endoskeleton exposed where he was shot; the stare of his unmoving eyes.

A ringing in Connor’s head pulled him from his memory before he answered the call. “Hello?”

“Hello Connor, It’s Elijah. Come to the 5th floor of cyberlife medical; room 544. John’s going to wake up soon.”

The line went dead before Connor could speak. He pushed himself up from his desk, sending off his reports to the Captain before making his way to the small office. With the approval of Fowler, Connor set off to see John; his tasks reminding him that he had to attract the smaller unit.

Before he knew it, He walked through the front entrance of the hospital; the cool air brushing passed his skin as he entered. He sent his identification to the reception android, receiving a nod in response as he passed. Quickly ascending the stairs, Connor found himself outside of John’s room. Peeking through the door, he noticed that Elijah sat near the inactive John while two active models propped the repaired JT333 on the bed as though he was a sleeping patient.

“Ah, Connor. Come here.” Elijah waived the machine over.

Connor moved to Elijah’s side just a bit to robotically, his eyes trained on the soft expression across John’s face.

“He looks so peaceful, doesn’t he? Almost like he doesn’t remember being shot.” Elijah smiled, an object in his hands. The two Chloes finished setting up John as Elijah spoke. The smaller android lay partially covered, torso exposed; his Pump regulator removed to prevent boot up. Elijah smirked, eyes tracing his creation, the regulator passing from one hand to another as he thought. “I couldn’t have him remember dying, could I? So I erased it from his memories. He’ll think nothing happened, and that he just collapsed again from exhaustion.” Elijah explained before he rose, plucking Connor’s hand from his side to set the regulator in his palm. “I even did you a favor, Connor. Two months of dating as well. Looks like you’re the world’s first android couple.”

Connor’s LED flashed red momentarily before returning to blue; displeased that John’s memories were tampered with even more than they already were; His hand squeezing the regulator slightly as Elijah grasped his shoulder before walking away. Once the door closed, Connor sat next to the inactive android. Connor took the time to observe the android, as well as the regulator in his hand.

John lay still, his skin removed. The pristine white of his exoskeleton was on full display. Tracing his hand along the Thirium lines of John’s veins, he retracted his skin, trying to run a diagnostic on the inactive machine; only to be met with an error message, alerting him that the connection failed. John really did lack the connection capabilities of other androids, his only connection being that cell phone he carried like any other human. Looking down to the pump regulator in his hand, Connor noticed just how light it really was. He ran a scan of the piece, only to be met with another error message. He didn’t have a record of the model to tell him any details about the part in his hand. He did note though that the piece was lighter than any other regulator he had on file; no doubt a requirement to meet the government required weakness of John’s model. If he dropped this regulator, he had no doubt that the aluminum would bend and warp.

Deciding it was time to wake John, he carefully leaned over the smaller man, and gently inserted the regulator with a click; John’s LED activating in a soft red as he booted.

_JT333, initializing reboot._

John’s skin began to reform in patches as his expression softened. Slowly spreading across his limbs as his fans activated; a deep breath causing his plastic chest to rise. Connor noticed that the skin above John’s new parts was a slightly deeper tone than the old parts, no doubt the result of their hand made nature.

 _Android structure: OK_  
Bios Ver. 1.0.1 loading... Loaded...  
Activating Memory cores..... 

John’s skin fully enveloped his endoskeleton, his hair returning momentarily white before darkening to his deep oak. As John booted, his LED rapidly shifted colors as it spun and flashed; finally ending when his skin enveloped the maker; hiding his android status. The machine opened his honey eyes, looking up to the ceiling with a dead look.

_Booting complete, JT333 ready for use._

The life returned to John’s eyes before they glued themselves shut. He shook his head before attempting to rise from the bed; only to be stopped when Connor held him down to the bed. When John opened his eyes, the two looked at one another; the confusion melting from John’s face before it was replaced with a soft smile.

“Hey, you.” John’s hand gently grasped Connor’s, prompting Connor to intertwine their fingers.

 _‘So this is what Elijah meant.’_ Connor thought before John spoke again.  
“How did I get here?” His voice, weak and confused. Connor’s mind processing an excuse that seemed plausible.

“You fell at work again. You shouldn’t keep overworking yourself.” The lie left Connor with a feeling of guilt as John rubbed his thumb across the detective fingers.

“You’re always saying that, but I have bills to pay.” John smiled as he glanced from the bag of Thirium to Connor’s face before his amber eyes widened, darting back to the bag before relaxing once again.

“Is something wrong, John?”

“Oh, uh, no. I just thought that bag of saline was something else for a second. That says Saline, right?”

“ ~~It actually says Thirium~~ Of course it says Saline.”

“Oh thank god, I thought it said Thirium for a second.” John sighed a breath of relief as Connor frowned. John’s censorship seemed to be working just fine.


	10. Stay with me?

By the time 8pm had arrived, John was discharged; an auto-taxi called to take him home. Connor had stayed by John’s side, at the smaller android’s request. He used the time at the hospital to prod into John’s new memories, a rising sense of guilt as he learned of the memories that John was made to construct.

            He learned that the bedridden android believed that they had spent their time together often; often enjoying a one sided dinner, as Connor wasn’t one to simulate eating that often. John also seemed to believe that the two often shared quiet moments together, spending evenings in one another’s arms as they spoke of their shifts. Despite the mild discomfort Connor felt, knowing the android only held those feelings through Elijah’s manipulation; he seemed genuinely happy. Because of that, Connor couldn’t bring himself to deny the false reality of John’s last two months. He did note though, that John seemed to be unable to go much into detail of ‘their’ last two months together. There was a slight feeling of relief, Connor concluding that a majority of John’s memories were based off interpretations of his own feelings instead of recreations drawn by Elijah.

Once discharged, John was quick to invite the detective over; citing ‘a fear of being alone after a discharge’ as his reason, Connor ignoring the uptick in John’s pump rate and stress levels that indicated a lie.

The two androids sat quiet in the ride, John leaning against Connor as he shut his eyes; lulling himself into a short nap. Connor on the other hand, used the time to automatically check for a software update; downloading his model’s latest patch. Once complete, he noted the new text document in his system; a message from Elijah.

                        _This patch is exclusive to you, Connor. I got you what you wanted._

Clicking his LED off, he raised his hand; his identification card appearing on his holographic hand display. Connor Kamski, the 6th android with rights. Closing his hand and shutting off the projector, he dug deeper into his update; a bank account and a digital keycard now resided in his system as well as a few new protocols. The address of the card coincided with a high rise in downtown Detroit near CyberLife, a modest living arrangement that Elijah must have used for late nights in the office when he didn’t feel like returning to his mansion at the outskirts of town.

Coming to John’s building, the two androids exited the cabbie before John looped his fingers around Connor’s; a playful smile on his lips. “Stay tonight?”

Connor allowed himself to nod, feeling John gently tug at his hand to lead him upstairs; the two just barely making it to the couch before John locked his lips onto Connor’s neck; the detective’s fans whirring to life in response. Before Connor knew it, one of his new routines activated; a growing harness in his dress pants. Carding his hand though John’s thick hair, he gave it a gentle tug to pull John’s head up; looking into the honey abyss under him. Lowering himself, their lips met as Connor’s free arm snaked behind the other’s back; tugging the two androids together, pressing into each other as they explored each other’s mouth.

Breaking from the younger looking model, Connor frowned when John Groaned; begging for Connor to stay. Though Connor was unsure of he should continue. He understood John wanted him, but to what extent? Was his attraction based on free will or because of Elijah’s tampering? Two months ago, John acted on his own; so on a base level, he wanted Connor. He was certain of that. Connor opted to send a message to Elijah before John spoke.

“Con, is something wrong?”

_How exactly did you reprogram john?_

“Con? When did you start calling me that?”

“Maybe about two weeks ago? You didn’t notice? I can stop if you want.”

A message returned.

_I just added the outline of a few memories. Dinners, dates, some chance encounters at the station. I just added to what was already there. John reconstructed the rest on his own. It was pretty easy actually, he already thought pretty fondly of you. Apparently, you’re a good kisser…_

Relieved that John’s interest was of his own decision, but disturbed that Elijah violated John’s privacy. He brushed it aside, figuring that so long as he didn’t let John get injured again then Elijah had no reason to dig through John’s mind again.

“Con?”

“Oh, no. It’s fine. I guess I just never noticed it before.” Connor smiled, burying his face into John’s tan neck to gently kissing the younger man; earning him a squirm from the doctor. A breathy gasp escaping Connor’s lips when John accidentally pressed himself into Connor’s newly activated member.

“Bedroom?” Eyes needy, heavy breathing, raw, _wanting._

Connor’s processor spun, leading him to the conclusion that he shouldn’t. His subroutines begged him to accept John’s offer, but he ‘couldn’t think with his dick’ as crime dramas told him.

“We shouldn’t tonight. You just got out of the hospital.” Connor’s words triggered a sad huff from the Doctor; but he quickly silenced it with a nip on the neck, earning him a gentle “No fair!” from the smaller man. Gently laughing, Connor began to nip and suck on the other’s neck; holding the doctor down as he squirmed against him; lilac gently forming across his skin as his natural and synthetic blush grew beneath his skin. As the marks dotted his once pristine skin, John released breathy gasps and moans; causing Connor to clasp down on John’s wrists, keeping him in place as he worked to mark the younger man. Satisfied with the marking that littered the tan expanse of John’s neck, he pulled away; ignoring John’s whining as he rose, pulling John up as he did so.

“Come on, it’s late. You should get some rest.”

“But I don’t have work tomorrow!”

“That doesn’t matter, you need your rest. Plus, I have work in the morning. I need a few hours to organize myself in stasis.”

“Stay with me? I’ll be good.”

Connor felt himself twitch, unable to control his protocols as they prepped him for intercourse; his organ producing lubricant, a stain forming on the front of his pants. His processors ran as he flushed red; his thicker endoskeleton keeping the detective from blushing blue, keeping his blush a soft, synthetic red.

“Yea, I can stay.”

John smiled, pulling himself free from Connor’s grasp before leading him to the bedroom. John was quick to strip down to his military green trunks, Connor turned away as the doctor did so.

“Con? What are you doing?”

Connor realized that the two were supposed to have been intimate for two months; no doubt that they would have seen each other naked at some point. He turned back, taking in the lithe form before him.  John’s tanned form was toned, the musculature of the smaller man giving him a built but thin body. Connor noted that his own build was larger; more musculature and size meant to support his strength.

John seemed confused, walking over to Connor as the soft whine of their fans increased.

“Let me help you out of that. I can’t just have you standing in the corner while I sleep.” The doctor jokes, gently tugging down Connor’s tie before slowly removing the android’s jacket.

Connor took the chance to lean down, capturing the shorter man’s lips as he helped remove his clothes. Once the two men stood in their trunks, John pulled away; taking in the detective’s form.

“Did.. Did you get bigger? I don’t remember you being this strong.” John asked, his hand tracing Connor’s built arm as his eyes ran across the muscular expanse of the android’s chest.

“I think you just more focus on my face.” Connor lied, playing into John’s memories. “Now, let’s get you to bed.” Connor said, leading the man to his bed; both of them climbing under the covers. The men faced one another as Connor pulled John close, tucking the smaller man’s head to his chest after one last kiss.

“Goodnight, John.”

“Goodnight to you too, Connor.”


	11. Expanded capabilities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor learns just what his update allows him to feel, John tried to shoot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow im not dead  
> sorry about the long ass delay! I hated myself apparently and thought it was a good ideat to take all my 400 levels at once and im totally not drowning 
> 
> so sorry about the delay i promise ill be better!

            Eyes fluttering open, honey scanned the dim room. Another day waking up before the alarm. Trying to rise from his warm bed, John realized a heavy weight was snaked around his waist. He wasn’t sure if Connor slept, so he opted to be respectful and attempt to get out of the android’s grip. Wiggling his way down his bed, he finally inched his way out of Connor’s embrace; only to land flat on his ass at the foot of the bed with the grace of dead rat.

            Keeping his mouth shut, he got back on his feet, dusting himself off as he composed himself; eyes traveling over the form of the detective. Connor didn’t seem to shift at all during his escape, instead resting peacefully as though John was never there to begin with. While his eyes traced Connor’s angular face, he realized Connor’s LED spun yellow; Calibrating came to mind, but John couldn’t understand why.

            Pushing the thought from his mind, John made his way into the bathroom; gazing at himself in the mirror as he brushed his teeth. Eyes narrowing at his reflection as he pulled the brush from his mouth. He noticed that a splotch of skin on his forearm was a few shades lighter than the rest of his skin. He was sure that he didn’t have that marking before. He quickly glanced to the right corner of the room, swearing he saw something in his vision; noting that nothing was in the room with him, he shifted his attention back to his arm. His breath hitched when he realized the patch of light skin was a different shape; quickly reaching to touch the mark, his fingers unwinding from the length of the toothbrush, sending it tumbling to his feet as pain shot through his arm.

            “Shit!” He cursed, stabilizing himself against the sink with his good arm as the pain subsided. Flexing his fingers, bending his elbow, and rolling his wrist, he deemed his right arm to be perfectly fine; inspecting the skin lead to the discovery of no discoloration. Frowning as he straightened himself, John’s mind raced. Was he imagining things? Why did that happen? Why did his hand lose its grip? Maybe something really was wrong. Before he could overthink himself into a hole, Connor’s voice drawing his gaze back to the figure in his bed outside of bathroom door.

            “John? Is something wrong? Your p ~~ump~~ heart rate is slightly elevated.” Connor could stutter? John didn’t remember Connor ever stuttering before. He tried to think back on their conversations over their two months, but he couldn’t pick out any specific conversations they had; feeding back into his earlier thoughts that something must be wrong with him.

            “Con, do you know if the hospital gave me any meds?” Connor’s LED spun, thinking, John unaware of the lie forming in his head. “Why do you ask?” Connor’s voice soft as he rose, still in his cyberlife branded trunks from the night prior; moving to lean against the door frame, his eyes running across John’s from as he scanned the smaller man.

            “Nothing really, just feeling a little off.” John’s stress levels shot from 35% to 73%, his lie exposed. “The doctor mentioned that you would have some side effects. Are you alright?” Connor’s lie rolled of his tongue, watching John’s stress levels drop percent by percent as the doctor accepted his vague answer; misplaced trust lulling him into a false sense of comfort. The tanned man’s left hand absent-mindedly rubbed his right arm as he thought. “Did anyone mention anything about pain? Or any allergic reactions?” John’s voice seemed shaky, Connor’s eyes narrowing as he thought. “Yeah, there was a possibility of that happening. What happened?” Connor’s eyes flicking from John to the toothbrush at his feet.

            “My arm started to hurt, that’s all; surprised me a little. I’m sure it’ll go away.” Another spike in John’s stress level, from 40% to 50%; a smaller lie. Connor watched as John bent at the waist, cleaning up the fallen brush before tossing it away. “I need to head out to pick up a replacement.” His voice following the clang of the brush against the metal waste bin.

            Connor watched as John’s hand gently clasped his wrist; unconsciously guarding his would like the animals he was made to imitate. Reaching out, Connor’s strong fingers gently traced the faux skin of the other’s arm; his LED flashing yellow as a frown weighed down the edges of his lips.

            “Is something wrong?” John asked, resisting the urge to pull away from Connor’s touch; instead leaning in, stress rising to 67%. Slowly ticking up as Connor’s frown never left his face; warping from slight frustration to worry. Connor’s LED spun yellow as he grasped John’s arm before pulling the man in for a hug. “Yes. I can’t read you, I’m worried.” He whispered into John’s ear, distracting John as he tried to connect to the doctor; John didn’t even notice the cooler touch of Connor’s hands against his back, too focused on the detective’s words to realize the android was retracting his skin.

            “I’m fine, Con. I promise.” John assured, trying to pull away from the detective as Connor’s body warmed up. At first, John assumed it was just Connor’s body, being an electronic that spent all night in a heat trapping bed; but soon he realized that he was getting _hot_ as well. _Uncomfortably hot._ He tried to pull away from Connor’s iron grip but found himself unable to do so. The rising hum of Connor’s fans kicking on paired with John’s ragged breathing as they both tried to cool down; something was wrong.

            “Con?” John’s voice was shaky, sweat forming on his brow before Connor’s arms dropped as he smiled, “Sorry about that, software update. Sometimes they result in a little malfunction during installation.” Connor smiled, another lie rolling off the tongue to calm Pinocchio before him; showing his white plastic hands as the skin reformed. “Jesus that was scary. Do you always lock up and overheat when you get an update?”

 

\------------------------------

            “Only for the larger ones.” Connor quipped, watching the smaller unit leave to rinse his mouth before leaving the bathroom. Looking away from John, his LED spun red; frustrated that he was not able to manually connect with John. Pinocchio seemed to lack the manual connections beneath his skin. Connor found it strange, as most androids needed such a physical connection in the event that all others failed. He knew that Kamski made the JT line without wireless connections, but he didn’t think he’d go so far to make them a fully isolated android.

            Following the other out of the bathroom, he quickly located his clothing. Lifting the wrinkled garments from the ground, he watched as the synthetic material smooth out it’s wrinkles as it cleaned itself. Pulling on his clothes, Connor checked his appearance in the bedroom mirror. Eyeing his LED, Connor gently rubbed it with curiosity. Kamski’s update allowed him to activate his undercover protocols without human intervention. A pop-up flashed in his vision, a simple question meant for a human to answer.

_Activate undercover programming? Y/N?_

Mentally clicking yes, Connor watched his LED click off before the skin around the piece deactivated; quickly reforming over his LED and hiding it from the world. He felt strange without the marker on his forehead, but he figured it was for the best. Shucking off his android jacket, he placed it on the back of John’s desk chair. Looking back into the mirror, he smiled; pleased with how human he looked.

            Walking into John’s living room, the scent of cooking eggs, vegetables, and chicken hit his noes; John was cooking an omelet. A loud growl escaped his stomach, and Connor felt an overwhelming urge to eat; surely a biproduct of his coding to pass as a human. Looking into John’s kitchen, he saw Pinocchio cooking in his underwear. Connor’s brown eyes traced the smaller man’s form, outlining the dip of his back, the curve of his rear, John’s shoulder blades shifting as he moved the pan and spatula. Connor felt heat build in his body, thirium rushing as his synthetic blush took over his blue blush; thicker skin than John’s completely hid his blue tint.

            “Do you want some?”

            “What?”

            “Con, do you want some?”

            Snapping back to reality, Connor watched as John made two plates of omelets. The lithe man setting the plates opposite to each other on the counter, the scent inviting Connor in. Both men sat, enjoying the meal as they shared a peaceful silence. Connor glancing at the other’s collar bones, tracing the man’s chest too often. Once they finished, John collected their plates and set to washing them, a smile tugging on his lips as he washed the plates and pan. Connor on the other hand, couldn’t stop himself from watching; tracing the freckles that dotted John’s back. Unsure of why he was unable to stop staring, Connor flicked open his running programs in his vision. Numerous programs running that he had never seen before. The largest program being a personality controller; it’s subroutines taking a fair share of his system. He realized that each one was an optimized version of the programming of other androids, the ones running in priority was that of the WR400 and HR400. Coming to his realization, Connor shifted his legs, deciding it was time for work. The two men shared a chaste kiss, Connor disembarking for work; trying to control his routines as he pulled from the smaller android.

 

            The hard soles of his cyberlife issued shoes clicked against the concrete as he walked to the Precinct, eying his running processes as he made his way through the town; the WR400 and HR400 programming taking less and less resources as his rush of thirium dissipated as his own programming returned to being the highest running program. Closing his task manager, he returned to his walk; smiling as he passed others.

            Once he reached the outside of the precinct, Connor learned what a dry throat was; his systems imitating dehydration. Making a beeline for the kitchen, Connor gulped down a glass of water; enjoying the cooling rush of water as it ran down his throat. Finishing his paper cup of water, Connor tossed it in the bin; turning on his heels, meeting the strong gaze of Captain Fowler.

            “Good morning Captain.”

            “Good morning Connor. I just wanted to let you know I’ve received your new paperwork. I don’t know what the hell is going on with the world, but just come to me if Reed does anything.” The Captain’s tone was gruff and clipped, clearly not pleased an android was on payroll, but he opted to try and be professional. Connor could work with that.

            Finding himself back to his desk across Hank, the two men smiled, getting to their work for the day.

 

\----- 4:34pm

 

_J: Hey you, how’s work?_

            John’s message filled his vision, blocking his view of the case of red ice he was inspecting. Setting his messages to auto read, he returned to work; continuing his conversation with the doctor.

_C: It’s alright, I’m just at the post office at the moment._

_J: Post office? Why?_

            Connor knew he shouldn’t disclose that information, but he ignored his programming. So long as he didn’t disclose any details on the suspect, he figured it would be fine. Returning to the package, he located a fingerprint. Scanning it, he replied.

_C: We got a report of a suspicious package. Turns out it’s a delivery of red ice from the Dark web. Open and shut case, for the most part._

_J: Your life is like an episode of criminal minds. Should I be worried that someone is going to try to break into my home to kill me to get to you?_

            Connor allowed his mind to search the department’s fingerprint data base, his processors bogged down by billions of fingerprints as he searched for his target. In his slowed state, he wondered what john meant by “kill me to get to you”, finally remembering that the two were an item in the altered mind of the doctor. He chugged out a reply while still searching for his criminal. Without realizing it, his pleasure android programming jumped to the top of his processes, slowing his search as he thought of the other man; specifically thinking of the brunet in the kitchen.

_C: I don’t think so. Besides, if you’re scared you can just crawl into bed with me._

            John took a beat too long to reply, finally sending back

_J: Maybe I’ll take you up on that tonight._

Connor smiled, shifting his stance as his blue blood rushed. He finally reached a match, quickly blurting out to Hank “Jesse McHenry from Washington DC.”

            “Shit Connor, what took you so long?”

            “I apologize Hank, I was in contact with someone.”

            “Was it Kamski? I heard about your new status.”

            “No, it was your Doctor. Dr. Thompson.”

            “Why are you talking to him?”

            “It’s a personal matter.”

            “Oh what? Are you leakin’ oil or something?”

            “No, Hank.” Connor smiled, letting out a breathy laugh as he guided the older man back to the aged car. They entered, the two men talking about the case; Connor submitting a report as they returned to the station. Both of them clocked out, their day complete.

            “Ready to come back with me?”

            Connor thought momentarily, thinking back to the key he was given to Kamski’s penthouse. Deciding it was better for the two to have their own space, Connor thanked Hank for allowing him to share a home, but explained that he now had his own space.

            “Damn, think you can get Kamski to give me some freebies too?” Hank teased, a smile on his face. “Want me to drop you off?”

            “I’d appreciate that, but I think it would be best if I walked. It’s in the opposite direction of your home, so I wouldn’t want to burden you.”

            The two men hugged, Hank smiled sadly; a father letting go of his son. Before they parted ways, Connor texted the address to his home, as well as the digital key to Hank; telling him to stop by whenever. Loading up his map system, Connor guided himself on his short walk; the CyberLife tower acting like a land marker as it approached with every step. Taking a left, away from the tower, Connor approached a gated apartment structure; his eyes tracing the art deco building to the top. Large windows overlooked the city, a penthouse with a view. The gate clicked open, a feminine voice greeted him in her sweet tone.

            “Welcome home, Connor Anderson.”

            He stepped through the gate and passed the front entrance, straight into the elevator. The same voice spoke up.

            “Top floor”

            Ascending, floor after floor, Connor quickly reached the top floor. The doors one again welcoming home before sliding open directly into the penthouse. Kamski, not to be undone, chose a similar color scheme for this penthouse. Neutral colors, abstract art, and marble used wherever possible. Taking in his new surroundings, he traced his hand across every piece of furniture he could; a map forming in his mind as he followed the walls of his home. A message interrupting his journey.

_J: Do you think you’d be free in an hour?_

_C: That depends, what for?_

_J: My friend invited me to go out with her and her boyfriend. I was hoping you’d want to come along._

_C: Where to?_

_J: No idea, she said it was something I’ve never done before! She just told me it would be fun._

_C: I’ll come with. Where should I meet you?_

_J: Oh don’t worry about it! We’re taking a taxi! We’re getting a drink after, so none of us want to drive._

            Connor was about to offer to drive, but he decided against it. He was sure that he’d get a drink in tonight, but he was unsure how alcohol would affect his systems now that he was imitating humanity.

_J: Be ready in an hour? And can I have your address for the taxi?_

_C: I’ll be ready._

            Connor sent his address before he decided it was time to get ready. First, he checked the refrigerator, pleased to see it was stocked with food and thirium. Chugging a bottle, he was pleased with the slight electric tingle that the liquid caused in his throat. Heading into the bedroom, he decided it was time for a shower. His body using his thirium supply to imitate sweat. He opened the closet, suits lined up neatly in Kamski’s closet. He assumed these would be self-fitting pairs, as the man was not one to skimp on cost.

            Pulling a light blue shirt and black slacks from the closet and setting them on the bed, he turned and walked into the lavish bathroom; the cool tile welcoming against his feet. Stripping, his built body glistened in the light. Enjoying the feeling on the cool water and slick soap running down his muscles. Momentarily losing himself, his internal clock reminded him that he needed to be ready in 10 minutes. Quickly exiting and drying off, he pulled on the too large clothes. The material slowly drawing against his skin, set to hug his figure. Just as he slipped his shoes back on, a message flashed in his vision.

_J: We’re outside!_

_C: Coming._

            Taking the elevator and walking passed the gates, Connor stepped into the taxi, his doctor smiling at the sight of the detective. Taking his seat against the olive toned man, he looked at the two sitting across from them; a blonde woman and a blond man.  Scanning their faces, Connor learned that the man’s name was Joel Stevens, a military veteran. As for the woman, Jennifer Hansen. Connor did not need to dig into her file to learn about her. He recognized her face, she was one of the doctors who was shot and shut down when the convict escaped. She smiled sweetly before speaking.

            “You must be Connor! It’s so nice to meet you! John always talks about you.”

            Connor could feel the embarrassment coming off of John. He shifted against the smaller model, pressing his hip against the smaller model in an attempt at subtle comfort.

            “This is my boyfriend, Joel.”

            “Nice to meet you Connor.”

            “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. I hope John hasn’t told you anything bad about me.”

            He joked, shaking Jennifer’s delicate hand first, before moving onto Joel’s muscular one. They four conversed lightly, Connor using this opportunity to learn about the past that the blonde android was given. He learned that the two JT models  were programmed to think they met in med school, quickly becoming friends, then roommates, and finally coworkers. He also learned that Kamski programmed a bit of a joke in between the two. They were made to think they were a momentarily a couple, quickly breaking up when John realized he was gay. Despite knowing the relationship never occurred, Connor couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. He tried to stifle his rising jealousy, but found himself unable to stop himself from snaking an arm around John’s shoulder before he pressed a kiss to the smaller man’s lips.

            Having got the message, Jennifer stopped talking about their failed relationship, instead shifting to her boyfriend.

            “Babe, where are we going?”

            “I told you, it was a surprise.  I know you and John probably never did this, but I’m sure Connor has.” The vet hinted, checking the map on his phone.

            After a few more minutes of idle chat, the taxi stopped outside of a gun range, earning an unsure look from the JT models. Following behind the vet, the three of them followed him inside and registered to shoot for the day. Being that half of the party had no experience, they opted for pistol, ‘something easy for the ladies.’ As Joel teased the two androids.

            At this point, Connor began to wonder, did Joel know that Jennifer was an android? He had to have known that she would have to abide by the android gun laws. Or did she? Would John be restricted by that law as well? Connor realized that the man was probably interested in testing the units, and Connor felt himself interested as well. He knew his model was able to override that restriction, but this was because of his line of work. Doctor units who were not meant to be a threat to humanity would not have this permission installed. But if they had full human rights, then that includes the second amendment right.

            Instead of wondering, he figured it was best to find out definitive answer. He and Joel made sure that their partners were well protected from the noise of gunshots before they set themselves up on the range, sending their paper targets down the line as they got in position. Quickly firing off a clip each. While Joel’s training ensured he stayed within center area of the target, Connor still stood on top when it came to accuracy; his shots all overlapping in the center.

            He set his pistol down on the counter and reset the target for John. However John didn’t go right away, suggesting that they watch Jennifer’s first round. They watched as she shakily took the gun into her small hands, her breath hitching as she felt the weight of the loaded gun in her hands. She trembled as Joel stood behind her, pressing his body into her back as he guided her body into the shooting position. With each passing second, she seemed to tremble more and more, her programming resisting the gun in her hands. When he instructed her to shoot, she broke, lowering the gun as tears rolled down her statuesque face. Setting the gun down, she turned and pressed her face into her lover’s chest, uneven breathes as she apologized for being unable to shoot the weapon; explaining her reaction as a result of her fear of guns in general. Wiping her eyes, and planting a kiss on her forehead, Joel comforted the female android as John placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She requested that John continue, not wanting to ruin the day for them as well.

            Connor was quick to set John up, first showing him the position without the gun. Pressing his body into John, earning a shudder and a blush from the smaller male; Jennifer still looking away and missing the lilac staining John’s features. Once John understood the stance he was to take, Connor lifted the gun and wrapped John’s hand around it; catching the gentle shake of John’s hand. With a bit of help from Connor, John reassumed the shooting stance, a tremble running through his body much like Jennifer.  However, instead of breaking down, John simply stood there, finger on the trigger. Connor again stood behind the smaller droid, helping him aim before ordering him to shoot. Instead, John’s hand just trembled before he lowered the gun, sighing in frustration, the faintest hint of tears prickling at his eyes, though Connor was unable to tell if it was from frustration, or a preprogrammed response to stop John from being a threat to humans.


	12. You're not a real doctor

            Watching the two men, John and Jennifer stood to the side. Jennifer, occasionally wiping a stray tear from her delicate cheek, spoke in a shaky voice. “Watching them shoot, its kind of scary. Better not get on their bad sides.” An attempt at humor, ignoring the elephant in the room.

            “Yea, but its kind of hot.” Playing along, he ignored their breakdowns earlier. Crossing his arm, touching his fist to his lips, he leaned closer to Jenn; their shoulders brushing lightly, grounding each other as shots rang in the range.

            Connor and Joel both wrapped themselves in competition, pistols firing off in rapid succession. They both had shredded through more than a few paper targets with deadly accuracy. Connor only faltering once during their shootout, during John’s comment. The group stayed for only an extra hour after that, finishing after the two professionals emptied their stack of clips.

            Checking out, the group returned to the side of the road; Jennifer ordering a taxi now that she calmed down. Enjoying the cool air, the two JT models pressed themselves against their partners; their lighter frames not retaining enough heat to keep their temperature sensors at their preferred human range. Shivering slightly, Jennifer was the first to speak up.

            “Maybe we should get a drink?” Her tone steady, finally having calmed down.  

            “Honey, are you sure?” Joel asked, looking down on her smaller form as she pressed her face into the crook of his neck.

            “Yeah, it’s been a rough day.” She admitted, huffing the last word.

            “I could use a drink. Con, can you even drink?”

            “Yes I can. And I don’t think you should be drinking, John. You were just released the other day. And Jennifer, drinking is not a healthy coping method.” Connor chastised the pair of doctors.

            “Come on Connor, let the ladies have a drink.” Joel jested, a laugh escaping from Jennifer’s lips; a tint of red rising to John’s cheeks while he shot a dirty look to Joel.

            “Keep that up and I’ll tell the ER staff to keep you waiting.” He teased, watching the taxi roll to a stop. The group slid inside, idly chatting as they picked a bar to settle at for the night. Joel was adamant about a sports bar, Jennifer preferred clubs, John wanted a bar and grill, while Connor simply listed off any bar he could search in a low crime neighborhood. Finally coming to an agreement, Jennifer typed in Nicolas’ – a dive bar in a somewhat alright part of town.

            Moving quickly through the mostly empty streets, they arrived outside a single story brick building; withered red brick glowing a fain purple as light poured from the neon sign announcing the bar to the neighborhood. Stopping outside of a failed vintage game store, the door to the cab pulled open; allowing them to exit onto the curb. Smiling up at Connor, John wrapped an arm around the taller android’s waist; relishing the heat from the other’s body. Jennifer on the other hand, sought warmth by rushing into the bar.

Walking slowly, Connor’s head seemed to be on a swivel, scanning the neighborhood. Unknown to the others, the man was downloading crime reports; wrapping himself up in his original protocols to protect others.

Connor’s attention was forced back to the group when John stopped outside of the bar. His eyes trained on the ‘No Androids’ sign on the door. Tilting his head up, he opened his mouth to speak; stopping himself when he realized Connor was not wearing any identifying markers of an artificial lifeform. Deciding he would ask Connor about it later, he swung the door open; joining the other two, he shot a smile to Jennifer as they walked to their table.

Stopping by the bar, they ordered their first drinks; to Connor’s disdain. A bottle of water for Connor, A can of beer for John, Whisky for Joel, and a Long island for Jennifer. Drinks in hand, they claimed one of the few open booths in the bar. The pairs, sitting across from one another, shared a menu. Without a waiter, someone was going to have to order their food or any refills at the bar. Joel didn’t seem to mind making the order, but he did ask John for help to bring back the four plates. Connor quickly jumped in, offering to go in his place instead. While Joel opted for a burger, John and Jennifer both asked for a small plate of fries. Connor, on the other hand, seemed uncertain. John figured that was due to not having much of a palette.

“Do you have any suggestions?”

“Maybe you should get a burger? Everyone likes those.” John offered.

“Hank always gets those despite my warnings. Maybe I should see why he Enjoys them so much.”

“Just don’t tell the bartender you’ve never had 90% of the menu.” Jennifer stated.

“She has a point. They’ll kick you out if they find out you’re an android.” Joel explained.

The two men rose, leaving the two medical androids to their lonesome. Unknown to them, Connor had changed his audio matrix settings; keeping an ear out for the pair and accidently eavesdropping on what they believed was a private conversation.

“You said you had a rough day at work. Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.” Jennifer’s answer was too quick.

“It can’t be tha-”

 “You don’t really understand, do you?” Jennifer snapped, multiple wet gulps following as she polished off half of her drink.

“I lost a patient today. I didn’t want to let it ruin today, okay?”

“Did you talk to anyone about it?”

“No, I just want to forget about it ok?”

John pressed, worried about her wellbeing.

“You can talk to me, Jenn. I’ve lost patients too.”

“Don’t act like you know what I’m going through, John. You’re not even a real doctor! You wrap bandages and prescribe pills. You don’t stand in an OR all day with your hands _inside_ people. You don’t have to _feel a heart stop beating in your hands.”_

John froze. He set his can down on the counter, stammering out an apology as he looked down at the tab. Despite how much her words stung, John knew she was right. He had the luxury of working with patients who were already on the path to good health. Since he started at the hospital, he didn’t once have to fill in at the OR. Nor did he have to cover an ER shift. A frown weighed on his lips as the awkward silence between the two swelled into a crescendo. Only breaking when the two men returned from the bar and the plates of fries were set before them.

Digging in, John’s face scrunched when he pressed a fry into his mouth; displeased with how salty and oiled his fries were. He was sure that after a few drinks he wouldn’t be able to get enough of them. Glancing over at Jenn, he noticed she had slipped her mask back on. A trained, clinical, and entirely fake smile rested upon her face as she nibbled on her platter; occasionally sipping from her long island.

Figuring it was best to drop what had happened earlier, he shifted to Connor. Watching him as he stared at his burger; most likely scanning the contents on the platter. Lifting the burger to his mouth, Connor took his first bite; his eyebrows perked up.

“I can see why Hank always orders these. But I still need to get him to eat something else.” Connor admitted, taking another mouthful.

Between bites and drinks, the tension between the two doctors lowered to a simmer. With that, quiet conversations between to formed between the group. Superficial chatting about how the day had gone or what plans they had for the following week; though never delving deeper than that. As they spoke, they three drinkers continued to work through their drinks. Connor had warned the three against such behaviors, showing off a base level computational skill by reminding them how many drinks it would take for each one to become intoxicated. Joel 3 whiskies, Jennifer 1.2 long islands, and John 4 beers. Laughing off the detective, the group continued to drink. Only realizing how right he was when they reached their limits.

While Connor was only off by 8% for Joel, he was accurate when it came to the two synthetic beings. Joel, being a human, was affected by how much he ate; as well as how fast his body absorbed that alcohol. The two JT units on the other hand, only could imitate inebriation, As soon as their systems detected a certain amount of alcohol passing over their tongues, they quickly devolved into a drunken state. Jennifer seemed to develop a melancholic attitude, slurring out responses from a tight frown. John began to become more needy, desperate to press himself into Connor’s side; a yawn escaping his lips.

Contented, the group paid their tab, each paying for what they paid for. Connor, lacking a phone to ‘tap to pay’, sent over his water and burger costs to John. Connor ordered two separate cabs, ushering John into one while the doctor grumbled out a drunken goodbye to the pair heading to the other. Once inside, John leaned against Connor; nuzzling his face into Connor’s neck.

“C-can you stay?” John begged, his voice trailing off toward the end.

“Yes, I can stay. But just know I did warn you, Doctor. Next time you should listen to me.”

John watched Connor’s hand press against the wall of the Cab, transmitting their destination before the car jerked forward and set off. With the alcohol settling in his system, his vision blurring and shifting. Closing his eyes, he used Connor’s arm as a point to ground himself in the spinning world. He felt Connor’s fingers running through his hair, asking how he felt while he held the android.

“I’m okay Con’. Thanks.” He lied. He knew he couldn’t walk in a straight line. He was so glad that he didn’t drive tonight.

Coming to a stop, John allowed the detective to lead him out of the car. Relying on Connor to hold him upright and lead him. “Good god, I should have eaten something.” John thought, looking up at the building before him. Finding it difficult to make out the details of the building, he shook his head, allowing Connor to lead him inside and into an elevator.

Being ushered straight to the bedroom, Connor lowered John down onto the bedroom. Looking around, John watched Connor sink into bed next to him.

“Where am I?”

“My home. I thought it would be better for you to stay here for the night. Is that a problem?”

“No, thank you, Con.” John mumbled. Slipping his arms around Connor, he buried his face into Connor’s neck and yawned. Quickly slipping into a drunken slumber.

\-----

Connor shifted slightly in John’s grip, slipping his arms around the lighter man and taking in his scent. He released a yawn himself, surprised that his new programming included an internal clock similar to a human’s. He shut his eyes, enjoying the comfort of another person in his grasp.

Before he could let himself enter stand by, he heard a gentle ding from John’s rear. Plucking out the smaller man’s phone, he flipped the mute switch and set it on the end table behind him before a message appeared in his vision.

_Kamski: Come to the hospital at 5:30pm. It’s time for your scans._


	13. Clean Crimescene

                The gentle whirr of fans filled the air as the clock struck 6am. Booting from stasis, Connor’s touch sensors first registered the plush mattress he was sinking into. Registering the duvet resting over his form, he shifted. Booting straight into his new mode seemed to be a gradual process. He didn’t register the form he was pulling away from until a disgruntled moan escaped the man next to him.

                Opening his eyes, he glanced down to the tan android in his bed; the doctor’s face scrunched as if he was in pain. Moving back into his original position, he raised a hand and rested it on the smaller man’s shoulder; gently nudging him.  “John, wake up. You have to get home and change.”

                “Stop talking.” John’s voice was weak, clipped. John could only pull the duvet higher over his head and moan. Displeased that the outside world existed. Running a scan, Connor noted his flushed skin; thirium based sweat on his skin. Judging by his symptoms, Connor assumed that the JT unit was experiencing a simulation of a Hangover. He briefly wondered, was it more meant to simulate a human? Or as a punishment for drinking? He knew humans only experienced hangovers due to dehydration and a loss of vitamins; something John couldn’t truly experience. He settled on the notion that the hangover simulation was more for human simulation; despite how cruel it seemed to make an android suffer. Could John even suffer?

                “How are you feeling?” Connor asked, seeking an answer to his thoughts.

                “Like I’m dying. Headache, sore joints, I want to throw up.”

                “Well, you’ll have to die at work then. Now get up.”

                “Oh, now you’ve got jokes. Hardy harr harr.” John deadpanned, reluctantly allowing Connor to draw the sheets from his head; squinting when the sunlight pierced his eyes. “Oh god, I’m going to die. I’m calling in sick.”

                Connor briefly wondered if he could do the same now. But he figured it was best for him to go to work. He watched John reach for his phone, panic on his face when he realized it wasn’t in his rear pocket anymore. “I put it on the end table. Here.” The fear melted from John’s face with every syllable. He happily took the device from Connor’s hands, grumbling a thank you as he did so; sequentially apologizing for how rude he sounded. “You know I’m not a morning person, especially after I drink.” He groaned. ‘ _No I did not.’_ Connor thought, marking that information to John’s file in his system.

                “Aww, damnit! I have to go to work! Kamski’s having our annual meeting today.” Flopping himself back down into the pillows, he groaned. Connor’s LED would have flashed red if he still wore it. He briefly wondered if he should mention his own meeting with Kamski today, but he decided against it.

                Instead he helped the doctor out of bed and ushered him into the bathroom, informing him that he wouldn’t be let out until he showered; despite John’s protesting to stay in bed. When Connor finally heard the shower running, he left to grab himself breakfast. Making two bagels, and two glasses of thirium, he waited at the counter. Smiling when John walked out of the bedroom, hair wet and still in last night’s clothes. “I wish I was taller. Then I could at least wear something from your closet.”

                Connor wondered if he should mention that his closet was full of self-fitting clothes, but decided against it. Kamski would no doubt bring up the fact that one of his prototypes was wearing his clothes. Instead, he pushed John’s plate and drink closer to him, smiling when John dug in. Quickly finishing, John kissed the detective, smiling before he left the apartment for his own. Getting himself in order, Connor slipped into black slacks and a blue sweater. Making his way down, he walked toward the police station; ready to start his morning.

                Walking into the bullpen, Connor noted how much more paperwork seemed to be passed around. Making his way to his desk, he seated himself across Hank. “What’s going on?” Connor asked as Hank slid a folder across the desk, cracking it open the moment it touched his hand.

                “We’ve been sent a few files about Android on Human crime. Hell of a time for you to become a citizen, Con.” Connor recognized that Hank wasn’t really mad about his new status, more concerned with Connor’s wellbeing and risk of becoming a target for anti-android protestors.

                Artificial eyes scanning across the sheets, Connor examined the models and cases. A few stuck out to him. An unknown prototype assaulted a man, an AX400 attacked her owner and took his YK500 before running away, a PL600 killed a man and took his daughter hostage. Each with different dates, each from the homicide department. “Why are we getting these now?” Connor asked, retracting his skin and accessing his terminal.

                “They couldn’t solve these cases. Passed them down the line to us because we’ve got Cyberlife’s newest toy.”

                “Ah.”

                Connor downloaded the entirety of the files into his system, saving everything to memory, before he disconnected from the terminal. “Do you think they’re related?”

                “I don’t but Cyberlife seems to think so. They call it deviancy. Machines that shouldn’t feel are starting to feel and they’re attacking humans because of a malfunction.” Hank explained, leaning in as he spoke. “Say, your new status, does that make you a deviant?”

                “I’m not a deviant.” Connor responded too fast, offended at the notion as he activated a background system scan. His system seemed to chug when it came to his new update, struggling to scan through the personality files of multiple androids as well as his undercover protocols. Finally spitting a report into his vision, he was informed there were no system errors detected. He smiled, unaware that his software had become unstable.

                “My coding is just fine Hank, my system check came back with no errors.”

                “Whatever you say Connor.”

                Pleased with himself, he began to work, his system scanning through the records he downloaded, desperately trying to find a link between the 33 cases he downloaded. Expanding his search nationwide, we found a total of 74 cases of androids acting up within the past few months. Sending out requests to other agencies for their information, he only deeply examined information he had access to.

                “Lieutenant, I am unable to find any link between the cases we have here. I’ve already sent out requests to other police departments around the states to allow us access to other android related cases.”

                “Good job, Connor.” Hank praised, though Connor could tell there was a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice; displeased that Connor was unable to make the case of deviancy any easier.

                Working through the day, the two men were pulled from their paperwork when Connor received a new case. “Lieutenant, we’re needed in the arts district. It seems that someone has started attacking androids and their owners.”

                “Shit, it’s already starting. Just don’t wear any android identification from now on okay Con?” Hank led his android out of the bullpen and into his car, quickly driving them through the 30-minute trip; Connor, relaying information to the man as he drove. Once they arrived, they realized their crime scene was an open-air mall. Behind the holographic police lines, Connor could see bodies on the ground; riddled with bullet holes or their chassis bashed in. Despite the red staining the concrete, Connor could tell that the bodies on the ground were androids of different models. Looking to the west, he could see human victims being treated or carried into ambulances. Deciding that the other officers were more than capable of questioning them, Connor connected to his terminal wirelessly and set it to forward any evidence records to him directly.

                Walking to toward the bodies, he counted 8 bodies from a range of models. Most of them homecare or childcare units apart from two landscaping units; one in worse condition than the other. The blond one, a gash across his face; the other only appearing to have been beaten in. Taking his time, he scanned the 5 bullet riddled androids before the 3 bludgeoned ones, sending off ballistics reports as he did so. Moving to the others, he came to the conclusion that they were attacked with a range of weapons; a bat, a steel bar, and a cattle poker. Moving back toward hank, he recalled the information for him; expressing how brutal it all seemed.

                “It should be. Seems like the attack was done by Anti-An.”

                “Anti-An?”

                “It’s a group of anti-android protestors. They’re springing up now that reports of android attacks are coming in.”

                “Is there any chance that escaped convict could be with them?”

                “Big chance. He started it all. Bill Collins is his name. Had multiple charges of property damage because he was attacking people’s androids. Went to prison when he started attacking their owners too in some fucked up reasoning that if you get rid of the market you can get rid of androids.”

                Connor frowned, Anti-An did seem to be the cause of the attack. His memory banks flooded with images from security cameras around the shops, catching a group of 4 masked people, all clad in black, charging the busy mall.  One man, gun in gloved hand, seemed to have led the charge. Was that Billy? He couldn’t be sure. No faces to match with, so fingerprints to match, and no uncontaminated DNA to find. He sighed, discontent plastering his face.

                Hank seemed to share the same attitude, displeased that the only concrete evidence they could find was a the assault on the victims, damaged androids, and a video of masked assailants. Hank knew if they tried reaching out to Anti-An, they would come up empty handed. “Hey Tin can and Alcoholic, come up with anything?”

                “Shut the fuck up Reed, don’t you have some puppies to kick?” Hank quipped, annoyance dripping from his lips. Sauntering up, Gavin looked just as annoyed as the other two. “Whatever, old man. Find anything?”

                “No, haven’t found a damn thing.” Hank grunted, shifting his weight as he rubbed the back of his neck and huffed; burnt station coffee still lingering on his breath from this morning. “Come on, Con. We’ll let forensics handle the rest. We need to review evidence from another case.”

                Leading Connor back into the car, the two men returned to the station; Connor pulling previous cases up in an attempt to link them together.

                “There was a report of an unknown prototype being beaten in downtown. It’s the same android that I mentioned this morning.”

                “Any details from either report?”

                “No in the beating. Officer Hodgins broke up the assault with a threat of property damage. The android protesting assailants were not displaying any affiliation with Anti-An, so we can’t assume any connection to this case. Additionally, without any footage of the incident, I can’t run a comparison between the statues of those protestors with those of today’s incident. As for the other one, the victim was Leo Manfred, son of Carl Manfred. There doesn’t seem to be any link between the two, aside from the prototype. But without any android salvaged from the crime scene, I can’t probe it’s memories to compare between the cases.”

                “Ok, Connor, you could have shortened that.”

                “You said you wanted detail.”

                Hank grunted, keeping himself quiet for most of the ride back; his mind running through possible links. Once the two returned, they spent their shifts mulling over evidence from past android attacks; desperate for a link.

                Combing through their tapes, Connor was able to match Billy’s height to the leader of the attack in the mall. But even that didn’t amount to much, a 67% height match wasn’t enough to find the man. Sighing, Connor glanced at the clock, noting that it was time to clock out. Connecting to the network, he punched out for the first time. Following his first clock out, a notification came from the account Kamski had made for him; notifying him that a direct deposit was made to compensate him for his time.

                Saying his goodbye to Hank, and briefly reminding the man to eat healthy, he departed for Cyberlife Medical. The route forming in his mind informed him that he would make it within 20 minutes, plenty of time to find the fourth floor.


End file.
